So, is there gonna be a rumble in Washington, or what?

I’ve had a little back and forth with Nats fans on Twitter today over “Natitude” a the whole “Take Back the Park” thing for this weekend’s series against the Phillies.

Now, I don’t need to prove to anyone what I think about a certain brand of Phillies fan, so believe me, when I say this, it’s not because I think it’s just peachy that Phillies fans have made Nats Park their new home. But that’s beside the point. My view — and I realize not everyone shares it — is that the Nats should have just laid low about it all and not make a big deal over Phillies fans taking over the park. I think that the whole initiative reeks of insecurity and may actually have the opposite effect, encouraging Phillies fans.

Check out the scene in Philly — from the Philadelphia Daily News — as people board buses for DC:

Now, tell me: when they get to Nats Park today, are they gonna have a great photo op under the banner pictured on this post over at DC Sports Bog?

I dunno. I just think that you win games, ignore idiots and eventually you have your park filled with loyal, local fans. Like any bully, you just encourage these guys with such a major reaction.

Blue Jays right-hander Marcus Stroman might be headed to the disabled list soon, manager John Gibbons told reporters following Friday’s rain-shortened loss to the Yankees. The righty lasted just four innings on the mound before calling it a night, and gave up five runs, six hits and two walks in a performance that Gibbons claimed was at least partially affected by recurring blister issues on his right middle finger. Now, it looks like he might be removed from the rotation for some much-needed rest and rehabilitation; if so, it’ll be his second such stint this year.

Stroman, 27, has struggled to return the kind of winning record and sub-4.00 ERA that characterized his previous seasons with the club, mostly due to the combined seven weeks he missed with blisters on his throwing hand and chronic fatigue in his right shoulder. In a recent start against the Rays, things got even more gruesome when his blister appeared to start bleeding in the middle of his outing and MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm notes that the wound has constantly interfered with the right-hander’s pitch selection and delivery. When healthy, Stroman has managed a 4-8 record through 18 starts in 2018 with a career-worst 5.27 ERA, 3.2 BB/9 and 6.8 SO/9 in 100 2/3 innings. This will be the first year since 2015 in which he has not logged at least 200 innings in a single season.

While Stroman may not need an extended stay on the DL before he returns to the mound, it’s not clear what kind of timetable the Blue Jays expect for his recovery. He’s been the second-most valuable starter (behind the now-traded J.A. Happ) in a rotation that currently ranks 17th in the majors with a combined 4.90 ERA and 6.8 fWAR.