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VIERA, Fla. -- The Nationals are expected to announce their second round of cuts Monday, but manager Manny Acta already told outfielder Justin Maxwell and right-hander Josh Towers that they were going to Minor League camp. Both players took the news well.
The organization acknowledged that Maxwell is its best defensive center fielder, but the front office wants to see him get more at-bats after missing most of last season because of a right wrist injury. Maxwell will most likely play for Triple-A Syracuse.
"Manny told me to be healthy this year, and he needed me to go out and play every day," Maxwell said. "I expected this news. I only played 40 games last year. It doesn't kill you, it makes you stronger."
Towers, who had a 2.45 ERA in two games this spring, wants to show that he can be the pitcher who won 13 games for the Blue Jays in 2005.
"Manny said he knows what I can do," Towers said. "They realize I can throw strikes. He told me to go down there and do what I can do and see if things work out."
In other news, catcher Jesus Flores (sore right elbow) is going to start swinging a bat Tuesday. The team will determine by March 23 when Flores will play in a game. Flores hasn't played in an exhibition game since Feb. 28 because of the elbow.
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...=.jsp&c_id=mlb
In the Space Coast Stadium clubhouse, the lockers closest to the exit belong to the young guys, those with minimal (or nonexistent) big league experience. Today, more and more of those lockers don't have nameplates at the top. The 11 cuts the Nationals made this morning cleared the roster of what Marco Estrada called "mostly younger guys." Estrada, indeed, was one of them.
"I mean, I saw it coming," he said this morning, while putting his belongings in a duffle bag. "I didn't pitch too well when I was up in the big leagues last year. It is disappointing. I thought I had a little bit of a chance [at a bullpen spot]. But it's probably the right choice. Now I've just got to go up there and work hard."
Of the 11 cuts, six were on the 40-man roster. (Thus, the 'optioned' terminology.)
Reassigned to minor league camp:
* P Josh Towers
* C Gustavo Molina
* INF Freddie Bynum
* INF Joel Guzman
* OF Jorge Padilla
Optioned to Class AAA Syracuse:
* RHP Tyler Clippard
* RHP Marco Estrada
* OF Leonard Davis
* OF Justin Maxwell
Optioned to Class AA Harrisburg:
* RHP Luis Atilano
* INF Ian Desmond
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/nat...tionalsjournal
The organization acknowledged that Maxwell is its best defensive center fielder, but the front office wants to see him get more at-bats after missing most of last season because of a right wrist injury. Maxwell will most likely play for Triple-A Syracuse.
"Manny told me to be healthy this year, and he needed me to go out and play every day," Maxwell said. "I expected this news. I only played 40 games last year. It doesn't kill you, it makes you stronger."
Towers, who had a 2.45 ERA in two games this spring, wants to show that he can be the pitcher who won 13 games for the Blue Jays in 2005.
"Manny said he knows what I can do," Towers said. "They realize I can throw strikes. He told me to go down there and do what I can do and see if things work out."
In other news, catcher Jesus Flores (sore right elbow) is going to start swinging a bat Tuesday. The team will determine by March 23 when Flores will play in a game. Flores hasn't played in an exhibition game since Feb. 28 because of the elbow.
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...=.jsp&c_id=mlb
In the Space Coast Stadium clubhouse, the lockers closest to the exit belong to the young guys, those with minimal (or nonexistent) big league experience. Today, more and more of those lockers don't have nameplates at the top. The 11 cuts the Nationals made this morning cleared the roster of what Marco Estrada called "mostly younger guys." Estrada, indeed, was one of them.
"I mean, I saw it coming," he said this morning, while putting his belongings in a duffle bag. "I didn't pitch too well when I was up in the big leagues last year. It is disappointing. I thought I had a little bit of a chance [at a bullpen spot]. But it's probably the right choice. Now I've just got to go up there and work hard."
Of the 11 cuts, six were on the 40-man roster. (Thus, the 'optioned' terminology.)
Reassigned to minor league camp:
* P Josh Towers
* C Gustavo Molina
* INF Freddie Bynum
* INF Joel Guzman
* OF Jorge Padilla
Optioned to Class AAA Syracuse:
* RHP Tyler Clippard
* RHP Marco Estrada
* OF Leonard Davis
* OF Justin Maxwell
Optioned to Class AA Harrisburg:
* RHP Luis Atilano
* INF Ian Desmond
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/nat...tionalsjournal
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