Dmitri Young: rested and ready. Well, sort of. - MLB

Interesting story about Dmitri Young in the Washington Times.
Young, you’ll remember, was given one of baseball’s more, well,
unexpected contract extensions when Jim Bowden gave him $10 million for
2008 and 2009 a couple of years ago. Unfortunately, he only played 50
games last season and has been completely MIA so far in 2009 due to
back trouble and bereavement leave and general Dmitri Youngishness. He
wants to play, of course, but there’s no room in Washington unless Nick
Johnson is traded. Young wouldn’t mind being traded himself, but
there’s a slight problem with that:

There isn’t anyone interested in a 35-year-old singles-and-doubles
hitter who is a liability in the field and who has a history of trouble
with his back and with diabetes. And who is owed $5 million this season.

Yeah, that kind of stuff tends to get in the way. Still the most gobsmacking part of the story comes with this passage:

In his mind, though, he believes he could have been playing in the
majors months ago. Having shed 40 pounds from a 6-foot-2 frame that
once weighed in at 330 and having successfully controlled his diabetes
thanks to a strict diet, medicine and exercise regime, he said it has
been four years since he has felt this well.

That’s pretty amazing if true. And a little sad, because given his
contract situation, there’s no incentive for anyone to give Young a
second look at this point. But if he were made available for the league
minimum, wouldn’t it be worth it for some AL team to take a chance on
him? Yes, he’s provided many unintentional laughs over the years, but
he has also hit pretty damn well (he’s only two years removed from a
.320/.378/.491 season). If he were released by the Nats tomorrow and
could show that he’s reasonably healthy, couldn’t he be a Matt Stairs
figure? Couldn’t he be useful making a spot start here and there and
serving as a reasonably dangerous pinch hitter?

OK, maybe that’s a stretch. I’ve just always had a soft spot for
Dmitri. He’s got his problems, but the guy is funny and passionate and
smarter than he’s given credit for, and I’ll always hope that there’s a
place for a guy like that in the game.

Hell, bench coaches don’t do anything. Maybe that would be a good place for him . . .

WASHINGTON (AP) Lane Thomas singled in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning and the Washington Nationals sent the Philadelphia Phillies to their fifth straight loss, winning 8-7 after blowing a six-run lead.

The defending NL champion Phillies have just five victories in their last 18 games and are tied with the Nationals at the bottom of the NL East at 25-32.

“We’ve got to overcome it,” Phillies manager Rob Thomson said. “We’ve got to play better, get consistent in all phases and keep moving forward.”

Alex Call drew a two-out walk against Connor Brogdon (2-1) in the eighth, stole second on a low pitch that catcher JT Realmuto couldn’t make a throw on and scored on Thomas’ single to right center.

“The way Lane’s swinging the bat, if you can get on second base, we can win the game,” Call said. “I look over and the ball’s in the dirt, he doesn’t catch it. Now I’m saying: ‘All right, Lane. Come on!’”

Kyle Finnegan (3-2) pitched 1 2/3 innings for the victory, stranding the tying run on second in the ninth.

Nick Castellanos homered twice, singled, doubled and drove in five runs for Philadelphia, which had scored just three runs in its past three games.

“There’s definitely a lot of positives as a group,” Castellanos said. “Showing some fight. It would have been really, really easy to lay down and allow the way the game started to be the way that it finished.”

Down 7-1 after four innings, Philadelphia tied it at 7 in the eighth. Brandon Marsh worked a nine-pitch walk against Mason Thompson leading off, and Drew Ellis singled with one out. Finnegan came on to face Kyle Schwarber, who hit a ground ball up the middle. Shortstop CJ Abrams fielded it behind it behind second base, touched second for one out, but threw wildly to first and Marsh came home with the tying run.

Castellanos’s second homer, a two-run shot to center in the sixth, pulled the Phillies to 7-3 and Marsh added an RBI single in the inning.

In the seventh, Schwarber doubled with one out and Bryson Scott reached on an infield single. Hunter Harvey came on and walked Bryce Harper to load the bases. Castellanos singled to center scoring two runs to make it 7-6.

Luis Garcia homered and Jeimer Candelario doubled twice and drove in three runs for the Nationals, who have won seven of 12.

Philadelphia starter Zack Wheeler, coming off eight shutout innings against Atlanta, allowed seven runs on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings.

“This one’s on me really,” Wheeler said. “Guys battled back. Just couldn’t finish it out. We know who we have in this room and what we’ve got to do.”

Josiah Gray gave up four runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings for Washington.

Candelario doubled just beyond the reach of left fielder Schwarber to drive in the first of Washington’s two runs in the first.

In the second, Abrams hit a one-out drive to deep center that Marsh misplayed into a double. With two outs and two on, Candelario doubled off the wall in right center to make it 5-0.

Garcia ended Wheeler’s night with a solo homer in the fourth.

“When you come out the way we did, you’ve got to tack on,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said. “It didn’t happen tonight, but we got one more than the other guys.”

CANDY MAN

Candelario is 9 for 26 (.346) with four doubles, a home run, nine RBIs, five walks, and seven runs scored in his last seven games.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Phillies: Thomson said RHP Taijuan Walker played catch Friday and there are “no worries about his next start.” In a four-inning outing against the Mets on Thursday, Walker’s sinker velocity averaged 90.6 mph, down from 92.7 mph for the season. His fastball, splitter and curveball velocity also dropped.

Nationals: OF Victor Robles (back spasms) took batting practice on the field for the first time since going on the injured list. … LHP Sean Doolittle (elbow) gave up a run on two hits and struck out two batters in 2/3 of an inning working his second straight night for Class A Fredericksburg.

UP NEXT

Phillies: LHP Matt Strahm (4-3, 3.20) will start a bullpen game on Saturday.

Nationals: LHP MacKenzie Gore (3-3, 3.57) went seven innings and struck out a career-high 11 batters in his previous outing – a no decision against the Royals.

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