Says ESPN:
Playoff odds: 72.7%
Win World Series: 3.8%
Deadline additions: RHP Daniel Hudson, RHP Hunter Strickland, LHP Roenis Elias
Key injury to watch: Max Scherzer is out because of shoulder/neck inflammation, a rare injury for a pitcher who has made 30-plus starts all 10 seasons of his career. Needless to say …
Player to watch: Stephen Strasburg was due for a stinker after winning seven starts in a row and not giving up a home run in July. The Diamondbacks pounded him for nine runs and three home runs over the weekend, and if Scherzer is going to miss a few starts, the Nats will need an ace-level Strasburg.
The Nationals got their deficit in the NL East down to four games after that doubleheader sweep of the Rockies on July 24, but now it’s back up to seven games as they’ve gone 3-7 over their past 10 games.
They traded for some much-needed relief help, but their three additions aren’t as good as the three relievers the Braves acquired — and then Elias pulled a hamstring while batting (he was told not to swing, but did and got hurt running to first). He’s expected to just miss the 10 days and it’s not as if he’s a big difference-maker anyway.
Washington still has seven games against the Braves, but rallying from seven down at this point will be difficult.
FanGraphs gives the Nats just 11.5% odds of winning the division.
https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/27323904/where-every-playoff-contender-stands-mlb-trade-deadline
Be the first to comment