Game #47 Nats have first of three game series with Padres

Yes, it is Gio Gonzalez‘s day at Nationals Park

Today is a new day, and the one thing that seems to be staying the same is roster moves. The Nationals made two more roster moves in the last 24-hours as they moved Ryan Madson to the 10-Day DL retroactive to May 17th with a pectoral muscle strain. In place of Madson, the Nationals call-up lefty Tim Collins from Triple-A Syracuse and to make room for him on the 40-man roster, they have moved Howie Kendrick to the 60-day DL. 

The curious case of Tim Collins who has not played in the Major Leagues since September 28th of 2014 due to his second ulnar collateral ligament tear required another Tommy John surgery. Collins who is 5’7″ brings a different look as a lefty as we saw in Spring Training. For how manager Dave Martinez will use Collins will be a wait and see but it could be as a LOOGY type to allow Sammy Solis to pitch the 7th inning and Brandon Kintzler to pitch the 8th inning to cover for Madson’s absence.

Tim Collins photo in the Circle of Trust by Laura Peebles

For the Padres, they will pitch Robbie Erlin who is the type of lefty who has reverse splits. Expect Juan Soto to start tonight, and Bryce Harper will be happy to see Erlin who he is 4-for-4 in his career against with a triple. Few Nats have faced Erlin before, and one of the few others who have is Anthony Rendon who is a career 4-for-6.

The Nationals had the ability with all of the time off with weather postponements to reseed the rotation and are going with Gio Gonzalez tonight and not Jeremy Hellickson. On Tuesday, Gonzalez started the rain shortened suspended game against the Yankees and pitches on an extra day’s rest tonight.

San Diego Padres vs. Washington Nationals
Stadium: Nationals Park, Washington, D.C.
1st Pitch:  7:05 pm EDT
TV: MASN; MLB App out-of-market
Nats Radio: 106.7 The Fan and via the MLB app

Line-ups subject to change without notice:

1. Trea Turner SS
2. Bryce Harper RF
3. Anthony Rendon 3B
4. Mark Reynolds 1B
5. Pedro Severino C
6. Juan Soto LF
7. Wilmer Difo 2B
8. Michael Taylor CF
9. Gio Gonzalez LHP