When Washington's NBA franchise changed its name from the Bullets to the Wizards in 1997, it was partially because of the city's burgeoning reputation as the "murder capital" of the United States (though the Wizards did not necessarily go over well either, not just because it sounded goofy, but because it also conjured up associations with the Ku Klux Klan in a predominantly African-American metropolis).

Anyway, long-time fans have clamored for a change back to Bullets, a request that has gone unfulfilled (the team's iconic uniform design, however, returned last season). For those hoping that the powers that be will finally listen to their constituents, keep hoping.

According to Sports Business Daily's John Ourand, the Wizards are unlikely to change their name back to the Bullets.

"There are certain instances in the last few years with certain players that I think are going to prevent that," said Monumental Sports & Entertainment Senior VP & CMO Joe Dupriest. "There's an appetite for Bullets marks. I think you'll see a lot more of that. You'll see people buy the merch. I don't see us changing the name to the Bullets. But I see us using the Bullets with the Wizards mark and using that history a lot more."
 

Of course, Dupriest is clearly referring to the 2009 incident in which Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton pulled guns on each other during a locker room dispute. Arenas ultimately pleaded guilty to possessing a gun without a license and was sentenced to 30 days in a halfway house as well as two years of supervised probation.

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

The Nationals dropped the rubber game of their three-game series with the Indians Sunday, losing 2-0 -- and spoiling Stephen Strasburg's return from injury -- while hitting 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position (including leaving a runner stranded at third with no outs on three separate occasions).

Through 68 games, Washington is averaging 3.49 runs per game, second-worst in the majors behind only Miami's 3.13.

What's even more startling is how the Nationals scored their eight runs over three games against the Indians: five solo home runs (all on Saturday), two wild pitches and one double-play grounder. So the Nationals did not drive home a single run via base hit all weekend and haven't since Ian Desmond's infield single gave them a 5-3 eighth-inning lead... on Thursday.

More from CSN Washington's Mark Zuckerman, who compiled these statistics:

Did you know the Nationals, when putting a man on third base with less than two outs this year, have brought that runner home only 46.4 percent of the time? That ranks 27th out of 30 MLB clubs.

Here's another one: The Nats have only 13 sacrifice flies in 68 games this season. That ranks 26th in the majors. They have produced exactly zero sac flies during the first six games of this road trip.

Is it any wonder this lineup has been held to zero or one run an astounding 19 times this year? Or that this team has lost 10 games already when giving up two or fewer runs?

That's bad.

Bryce Harper can't come back soon enough. Right after he gets dressed.

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

Alex Ovechkin's broken left foot is healing well after playing nearly three full games on it last month.

"Foot is okay," the recently-crowned MVP said during a conference call to discuss winning the Hart Trophy Sunday morning. "Right now I'm working fine. I'm going to start playing tennis soon. I'm going to be in good shape. ... It's kind of getting better, so I feel pretty good about my foot."

The Capitals' captain suffered a hairline fracture in his left foot during Game 6 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series against the Rangers when he blocked a shot from Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh. Ovechkin finished the series and then played one game for his native Russia at the IIHF World Championships once the Capitals were eliminated from the postseason before finally having an MRI to determine the severity of the injury.

"I never knew I had broken my foot until after World Championship, first of all," said Ovechkin, who alluded to playing through other injuries throughout the lockout-shortened season. "I blocked a shot. The puck broke my foot. I never ask if I hurt something. I just play the game because it's the playoffs. It doesn't matter what happen. You have to be there and you have to play the best that you can.

"If you hockey player, if you play for Stanley Cup, doesn't matter what happens, you just going to play. ... You play for Stanley Cup. That's it."

Ovechkin is expected to be ready for training camp when the Capitals reconvene in September.

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin won the Hart Memorial Trophy Saturday, the third time he has been named NHL MVP in the last six years.

The 27-year-old underwent a career renaissance this season, leading the league with 32 goals in 48 games -- all while adjusting to a position change from left wing to right wing -- including 23 over the final 23 games as the Capitals rebounded from a 2-8-1 start to win the Southeast Division.

Ovechkin, who also won the Hart Trophy in 2008 and 2009, earned 50 first-place votes, besting Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sidney Crosby by just 32 points -- the smallest margin of victory in 11 years -- and New York Islanders forward John Tavares.

He is the eighth player in NHL history to win the award at least three times, joining Howie Morenz, Eddie Shore, Gordie Howe, Bobby Orr, Bobby Clarke, Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux.

Ovechkin, however, did not win the Ted Lindsay Award; Crosby earned the distinction as the most outstanding player as voted on by fellow players.

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

To paraphrase an inappropriate quote (for this blog, at least), opinions are like butts. Everybody has one and thinks that everybody else's stinks. It doesn't have the same ring to it, does it?

Point being, everybody and their mother seemingly has an opinion on the Redskins' -- excuse me, the "Washington professional football team's" -- name. Add 11-time NBA championship-winning head coach Phil Jackson, who offers this suggestion:

“Life in all it’s many forms…” the use of the name #Redskins is highly offensive. It is time to find a new name. I suggest the name Whigs.

— Phil Jackson (@PhilJackson11) June 13, 2013

The "Washington Whigs." I'll give it points for alliteration, but it doesn't have the same oomph to it. The Whig Party only had two candidates elected President: William Henry Harrison and Zachary Taylor. The former died after 32 days in office, while the latter croaked after gulping down a large quantity of cherries and iced milk. Not necessarily the most intimidating mascot.

Thank you, AP U.S. Government class.

(Please, just end this now. Please.)

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

During the sixth inning of the Nationals' 5-1 win over the Rockies Wednesday, Ryan Zimmerman crushed a pitch from Jorge De La Rosa into deep left-center field.

SPOILER ALERT: He hit an RBI double that gave Washington a 2-0 lead, but that's not why we're here. We're here to watch two Colorado outfielders -- Dexter Fowler and Carlos Gonzalez -- crash into each other at high speed.

Let's see that again. Over and over again.

So does Fowler get called for the charge or does Gonzalez get called for the block?

Both walked away from the wreckage unscathed. Pride may be slightly bruised, though.

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

Nationals manager Davey Johnson has been named to the National League All-Star team coaching staff by Giants manager Bruce Bochy.

Johnson actually accepted the position last month when the Nationals were in San Francisco, but it did not become official until Thursday. Bochy, whose relationship with Johnson goes back to the 1980s when the two were both employed by the Mets organization, will manage the NL All-Stars because his team won the pennant last season. Coincidentally, the All-Star Game is at Citi Field, the Mets' home stadium.

Mets manager Terry Collins will round out the National League staff.

The game will take place on July 16.

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

Last month, 10 members of Congress sent a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell (among others), urging him to consider changing the name of Washington's professional football team. You know, the one that begins with "R" and ends with "edskins."

Well, Goodell responded to that letter last week and defended the team's name, saying that it is "a unifying force that stands for strength, courage, pride and respect."

"As you correctly recognize, the issues raised with respect to the Washington Redskins name are complex, and we respect that reasonable people may view it differently, particularly over time," wrote Goodell, who cited public opinion polls showing that most don't consider the name to be offensive. "The National Football League takes seriously its responsibility to exemplify the values of diversity and inclusion that make our country great."

(Deadspin has the entire letter here.)

In a response released as part of a joint statement with Delegate Eni Faleomavaega (D-American Samoa), Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) was none too pleased.

"Goodell's letter is another attempt to justify a racial slur on behalf of (Redskins owner) Dan Snyder and other NFL owners who appear to be only concerned with earning ever larger profits, even if it means exploiting a racist stereotype of Native Americans," she said.

"Would Roger Goodell and Dan Snyder actually travel to a Native American community and greet a group of tribal leaders by saying, 'Hey, what's up, redskin?' I think not. … Indian children, families and elders are Americans, and just like all racial, ethnic or religious groups, they deserve to be treated with respect and dignity, not as a demeaning caricature or mascot. That shouldn't be too much to ask of the NFL."

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

Let's not sugarcoat this: Dan Haren is bad.

Not "bad" in general (any pitcher that can last 11 years in the majors can't be that bad) or "bad" as in
"good" like the kids say, but this season has been pretty awful for the Nationals pitcher.

Tuesday against the Rockies, Haren allowed six hits -- including two home runs -- in a five-run fifth inning that blew the game open in an 8-3 loss, his fifth in his last six starts.

"I was kind of dumbfounded," manager Davey Johnson told reporters. "He was really making pitches, he was breezing. In the fifth inning it seemed like he ... lost the feel for the ball. Just seemed like he couldn't locate it from that point on. He was pitching a great ballgame, making all his pitches. I don't know what happened."

Haren has allowed a league-high 17 home runs this season, while his 5.70 ERA ranks 96th out of 101 qualified pitchers.

"I just can't keep the ball in the ballpark," Haren told reporters. "That's what it's coming down to. They're good hitters too and they're going to make me pay for my mistakes, but I've never had so much trouble with homers in my career. I got to really try to focus on keeping the ball down and do the best I can."

Here's more to digest:

Haren is averaging only 5.5 innings per outing, the lowest of his career. He also has been hurt by the lowest run support of any starter on the staff, nearly 2.7 runs per game. The Nationals are 4-9 in games Haren starts, the worst winning percentage of any of the team’s starters.

Not only that, but Haren's 46 earned runs (29 of which have come via home run) are fourth-most in the majors and batters are hitting .301 against him, 95th out of 101.

I'm sure there are other advanced statistics that could further prove my point, but I don't understand them and I think it's pretty obvious that Haren's not doing so well.

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

Robert Griffin III was made available to the media Tuesday for the final time until next month's training camp, so those in attendance made sure to coax whatever remaining morsels of information they could out of him to satiate themselves for the next six weeks.

That's when the RGIII Express went off the rails and crashed into Crazy Town.

Once the questions regarding his health were out of the way, Griffin was asked about Kirk Cousins' (and his own) singing, his upcoming wedding and, unfortunately, Tim Tebow.

On Cousins and the aforementioned singing (asked by News4's Dan Hellie):

“We talked amongst ourselves in the QB room, and we get on him about it. Like he said, at his high school that was cool to do. I know it wasn’t cool in my high school. We have plans to play that during training camp.

“We both sing a lot. I love music. He’s told me that many times, that he thinks I’m a better singer than he is."

(He declined to sing.)

On Tebow signing with the Patriots (asked by ESPN because of course it was):

“I think it’s good. I mean, I always root for guys, especially quarterbacks, as odd as it sounds. I’m a quarterback-friendly guy, so I try to root for them, that they always succeed. I hate to see a guy out on the street, no matter what position he plays. Obviously Tim is a very passionate player, so it’s good that someone stepped up and signed him because they feel like he can help their team. I wish the best for him.”

On his upcoming wedding and honeymoon:

“I have no say. Basically, that’s just how it rolls. I’m just trying to make sure [fiancee Rebecca Liddicoat] doesn’t become a Bridezilla. She’ll be fine. I’m doing little things here and there behind the scenes with the groomsmen. Little stuff for the wedding, she’ll set something up and ask me if I like this or that. Sometimes I actually have a choice, and sometimes it doesn’t matter what I say. It’s her day. She’s gotta enjoy it.”

And scene.

I'd personally like to apologize to Jim Vance for further inundating the news cycle with more RGIII coverage, especially this story, which is actually coverage of RGIII coverage.

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

The 2013 Stanley Cup Final is officially set as the Bruins and Blackhawks -- two of the last three Cup winners -- aim to add to their championship collections.

After erasing a 4-1 third-period deficit in Game 7 against the Maple Leafs in the first round, the Bruins steamrolled through the second and third rounds, bouncing the Rangers in five games and sweeping the top-seeded Penguins (and allowing only two goals while doing so). Meanwhile. the Blackhawks came back from a 3-1 deficit in the second round against the Red Wings (they defeated the Wild in five in the first round) before dethroning the defending champion Kings in the Western Conference Final.

To prepare yourselves accordingly for Wednesday's Game 1, here is a handy guide to the final round. Consider this your CliffsNotes for when you inevitably have an argument that unnecessarily escalates.

(And yes, I understand any confusion about why I am posting a preview of a series involving Boston and Chicago on a Washington website. I'm just choosing to ignore it.)

Hockey Facts!

• Boston: The Bruins never trailed during their conference final series against the Penguins, the 16th four-game sweep in NHL playoff history in which that occurred. They have won seven of their last eight playoff series dating back to 2011, the only blemish being a first-round loss to the Capitals last season.
• Chicago: The Blackhawks will look to become just the seventh of 27 total Presidents' Trophy recipients -- which is awarded to the team with the best regular season record -- to win the Stanley Cup. The 2007-08 Red Wings were the last to do so, but history is on the Blackhawks' side: six of the eight Presidents' Trophy winners to reach the Stanley Cup Final have won it.

Championship Matchup Facts!

Bruins/Blackhawks is the first "Original Six" Final since 1979 and the first between the two teams in question. Boston and Chicago, however, have competed for a title twice before.

• Super Bowl XX: (1986): The Bears defeated the Patriots 46-10 as the former's 46 defense held the latter to just 123 total yards, the second fewest in Super Bowl history. Up With People performed something called "Beat Of The Future" as dancers wore blazers with the sleeves rolled up, which was the style at the time, while gyrating on the yard lines.
• 1918 World Series: The Red Sox, led by star pitcher Babe Ruth (yes, that one), defeated the Cubs in six games to win their last championship until 2004. Game 1 was the first time that "The Star Spangled Banner" was performed at a major-league game. Up With People was still decades away from enlightening us all with their unique brand of inoffensive pop.

Hey, Watch This!

Apparently unaware of child labor laws, the Blackhawks employ a precocious reporter named Joey to conduct hard-hitting interviews. To his credit, he asks better questions than I do.

Joey has heart, but "Bear & The Gang" has a bear and its gang.

I don't know about you, but I'd love to see a special crossover episode of "Bear & The Gang" where Jack Edwards teaches Joey about the art of hyperbole.

Noteworthy Celebrity Fans!

• Chicago: Mr. T, Vince Vaughn, CM Punk
• Boston: Bill Simmons

Actual Analysis!

In all seriousness, this should be one hell of a series between two teams with similar makeups -- strong depth throughout the forward lines and defensive pairings, two solid goaltenders capable of stealing both games and series, and two veteran coaching staffs with battled-tested rosters (the Bruins return 17 players from their 2011 Cup team, while the Blackhawks' core from their 2010 team remains intact).

So who wins? Here comes the corny answer: We all do.

Well, except for the losers.

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

Former D.C. Councilman Michael A. Brown pleaded guilty to bribery charges Monday, admitting to federal court that he accepted $55,000 from undercover FBI investigators posing as representatives of a company that he thought was doing business with the city government.

Corruption in politics is a tale as old as time, but it was how Brown accepted the dirty money that lands him in "Capital Games Court." Patent pending.

From News4's Mark Segraves:

According to court documents, Brown admitted to accepting $15,000 in cash in a duffel bag that also contained a Nationals baseball cap and T-shirt. It was followed by another $10,000 in cash inside a Redskins mug.

I know, I know. "MUG SHOT." These stories more or less write themselves.

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

It's been a while since I've written about the Nationals' Presidents Race -- probably because the intrigue is gone now that Teddy has finally won -- but watching the 26th President of the United States get tackled by a giant bug is enough to grab my attention.

During Sunday afternoon's race, Teddy was well on his way to victory when an anthropomorphic cicada, taking a break from its busy schedule of noisy lovemaking, entered through the crowd and accosted him, allowing George to win the race.

The question still remains: Where did a cicada find a pair of Chucks?

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III told reporters in Ashburn Thursday afternoon that he expects to be ready to fully participate in training camp next month.

"Without a doubt," Griffin added.

RGIII has been taking part in the Redskins' OTAs but has not officially participated in any team drills. Yet Griffin is confident that he will be ready to do so when training camp begins July 25 in Richmond.

“It’s just how I feel and how it’s progressed,” he told reporters. "Over the last three weeks, I've had a lot of progress and I feel a lot better.”

Coach Mike Shanahan, however, will leave that decision up to the doctors.

“You always want somebody to have goals, that’s for sure, and you want them to come back as soon as he’s ready to go,” Shanahan said. “But the doctor’s got to OK him. From the beginning, they’ve talked about recovery time being anywhere from seven months to nine months. I think Aug. 9 is seven months, and so we’ll just have to wait and see.”

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

The NHL's free agency market officially opens for business on July 5, and the Capitals certainly do not find themselves in an enviable position.

As of Thursday, the Capitals are currently $6.2 million under the salary cap ceiling, which drops from $70.2 million to $64.3 million next season. Washington will have to stretch that $6.2 million -- the seventh-smallest amount according to 2013-14 projections from the incomparable CapGeek --  in order to potentially sign four free agents: restricted free agents Karl Alzner and Marcus Johansson, and unrestricted free agents Mike Ribeiro and Matt Hendricks.

General Manager George McPhee said last month -- and reiterated last week -- that he does not expect to make wholesale changes to his roster heading into the 2013-14 season, but that is because he has little to no money to do so. Yet McPhee does have some decisions to make, so what is he going to/can he do?

Using CapGeek and my vast (read: limited) knowledge of players' worths, I will attempt to figure out what the Capitals' roster will look like when the team reconvenes in Arlington for training camp in September.

Let's begin.

Step 1/2: The $6.2 million amount ($6,265,705 to be exact) comes from demoting goaltending prospect Philipp Grubauer, who, barring unforeseen circumstances, will start the season with AHL Hershey.

Step 1: Buy out Jeff Schultz. It was reported last week (and later confirmed by McPhee) that the 27-year-old defenseman requested a trade near the end of the regular season after he was passed over in the depth chart.

As McPhee told reporters at the NHL Draft Combine, “If someone wants to be traded, we’ll trade him." Whether the Capitals do in fact trade Schultz or use one of their two compliance buyouts on him (in the simplest terms, it would allow the Capitals to pay Schultz 2/3 of the $3 million remaining on his contract to leave, removing his $2.75 million cap hit from the books), he shouldn't be on the team next year.

Remaining salary cap space: $9,015,705

Step 2: Sign the restricted free agents. Both Alzner ($1.27 million last season) and Johansson ($900.000) are due for raises. Alzner won't make as much as defenseman John Carlson does per season ($4 million beginning next season), but should see his salary more than double, probably in the $3-3.5 million range.

As for Johansson, McPhee tends to overvalue his players, and despite only earning 22 points in 34 games last season, Johansson played an integral role on Washington's first line with Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin in the latter half of the regular season. He could make somewhere between $1.5-$2 million.

Defenseman Tomas Kundratek, who appeared in 25 games for the Capitals last season, is also a restricted free agent and will likely garner a slight raise from his $600,000 NHL salary and $816,666 salary cap hit.

Assuming Alzner and Johansson earn the projected minimum and that Kundratek starts the season in Hershey (where his salary cap hit won't count against the Capitals), that is at least another $4.5 million tied up.

Remaining salary cap space: $4,515,705 (without Kundratek)

Step 3: (Potentially) sign the unrestricted free agents. Based on the current calculations, there is about $4.5 million to sign Ribeiro, who just finished a contract that paid him more than that per year ($5 million), and Hendricks, who could take up a sizeable chunk of the remaining space.

Ribeiro said before leaving for the season (and possibly forever) that the length of his contract -- he prefers four to five years -- is more important than the value as he is looking for stability for his family. Meanwhile, Hendricks has established himself as a reliable energy player in the NHL and he should receive his first major payday.

We'll take this step like a "Choose Your Own Adventure" book.

You're George McPhee. You are prepared to negotiate with both Mike Ribeiro and Matt Hendricks, your valued unrestricted free agents. Their agents are awaiting your call.

Choice: Do you call Ribeiro's agent?

Or: Do you call Hendricks's agent?

Ribeiro: At 33 years old, Ribeiro is looking for one last major contract. He wants a commitment of at least four years, something that you or very few teams in the NHL have done for a player his age. He'll take a pay cut, but as potentially the most sought after free agent on the market this summer, he will likely grab a lot of attention. His agent wants at least $4 million per season.

Choice: Do you agree to those terms?

Or: Do you walk away?

Agree: You sign Ribeiro to the long-term deal he desires, but that leaves you with under $1 million in cap space, which allows you to do pretty much nothing else. Hendricks hitches his wagon to another team willing to pay for his services.

Walk Away: You save a lot of money, but you let your second-leading scorer walk away and are left to fill the second-line center position from within again with Mathieu Perreault or Brooks Laich. Tim Connolly is also very much available.

------------

Hendricks: The 31-year-old is the kind of player that every team loves to have, and you have the first crack at keeping him. Yes, his statistics were down this season (five goals, eight points in 48 games), but his value inside the locker room can't be quantified. That $800,000 needs to come up over $1 million. The New York Rangers are apparently interested. Are you willing to see Hendricks join them?

Choice: Do you agree?

Or: Do you walk away?

Agree: You re-sign Hendricks for around $1.2 million per season. You don't have enough money (around $3.3 million) to sign Ribeiro and your top six is in flux once again, but you do have enough to fill the remaining holes. A strong locker room voice remains.

Walk Away: Hendricks signs with the Rangers (or some other team) and strengthens their bottom six. Aaron Volpatti replaces Hendricks's skill set in theory, but the latter's leadership is sorely missed.

That wasn't as scary as Goosebumps, but this is: The Capitals will likely lose either Ribeiro or Hendricks. Either way, the team will be weakened,

Other things to consider: The Capitals need a seventh defenseman. That could be Kundratek (projected salary cap hit of at least $850,000) or Dmitry Orlov ($900,000).

Also, if forward prospect Tom Wilson makes the roster, then his cap hit of around $1.3 million is on the books. And lest we forget the possible long-awaited arrival of top prospect Evgeny Kuznetsov, so there needs to be room for him as well.

If you ask me, I believe that the Capitals will re-sign Hendricks because they won't have enough money to keep Ribeiro. Assuming they don't sign somebody from outside the organization, here's a potential lineup with cap values (projected values in bold):

Forwards

Marcus Johansson ($1.5 million) - Nicklas Backstrom ($6.7 million) - Alex Ovechkin ($9,538,462)

Martin Erat ($4.5 million) - Brooks Laich ($4.5 million)  - Troy Brouwer ($3,666,667)

Jason Chimera ($1.75 million) - Mathieu Perreault ($1.05 million) - Eric Fehr ($1.5 million)

Matt Hendricks ($1.2 million) - Jay Beagle ($900,000) - Joel Ward ($3 million)

Aaron Volpatti ($575,000)

Defense

Karl Alzner ($3 million) - Mike Green ($6,083,333)

John Erskine ($1,962,500) - John Carlson ($3,966,667)

Jack Hillen ($700,000) - Steven Oleksy ($541,667)

Dmitry Orlov ($900,000)

Goaltender

Braden Holtby ($1.85 million)

Michal Neuvirth ($2.5 million)

TOTAL (22 players): $62,184,295

Available room: $2,275,705

Feel free to leave questions/comments/concerns/alternative "Choose Your Own Adventure" scenarios below.

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

Stephen Strasburg has been placed on the disabled list with a lat strain that caused him to be pulled from his last start after just two innings, the team announced Wednesday.

The Nationals' ace, who was already scheduled to miss his next start Thursday, tested his injury out Wednesday, but obviously the results weren't promising.

He is eligible to return June 16. Manager Davey Johnson told reporters prior to Wednesday's game against the Mets that Saturday's starter will be recalled from AAA Syracuse.

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

Major League Baseball will seek to suspend about 20 players connected to the Miami-based clinic which reportedly supplied them with performance-enhancing drugs, according to ESPN's "Outside The Lines."

The likes of New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez and former National League MVP Ryan Braun were found in documents belonging to Biogenesis of America, a former anti-aging clinic run by Tony Bosch. Bosch has reportedly agreed to cooperate with investigators from MLB.

According to ESPN, MLB will look to suspend both Rodriguez and Braun for 100 games for two violations: the first for having a connection to Bosch and the second for denying any such connection to the use of performance enhancing drugs.

Nationals pitcher Gio Gonzalez was one of the original names discovered on one of Bosch's lists, but he could be exonerated because the substances he received from the clinic were legal, sources told ESPN.

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

Major League Baseball revealed the first voting update for the National League All-Star team Tuesday, and the Nationals' Bryce Harper is second among outfielders in votes.

Harper, currently on the disabled list with a knee injury, has accumulated 1,182,532 votes so far, which trails only the Braves' Justin Upton (because of course), who has 1,184,249. No other member of the Nationals is in the top five of their respective positions (first base, second base, third base, shortstop, catcher and outfield).

Fans can cast their votes for starters online or on a mobile device until Thursday, July 4, at 11:59 p.m. ET.

The NL and AL All-Star teams will be unveiled on July 7. The game will played at Citi Field in New York on July 16.

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

The National Women's Soccer League kicked off (pun very much intended) its inaugural season in April with eight teams, including the Washington Spirit.

The brand-new league is trying to keep its costs down, so professional soccer players are living with host families. Except for the Spirit's Diana Matheson and Robyn Gayle, who are living at a retirement community in Rockville.

The two Canadians -- Matheson is 29, Gayle is 27 -- are staying at the Ingleside at King Farm, where their elderly neighbors have become regulars at their games at Maryland SoccerPlex Stadium in Boyds. They also bake them biscotti and cookies, which seems like a sweet deal (pun very much intended again).

I've now doubled my portfolio of soccer-related stories since Monday. For those keeping score, that means two stories.

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

The Nationals -- you know, the "World Series or bust" Nationals -- are certainly not looking like a team that will be playing in October.

Okay, so it's early June and the baseball season still has about 1,000 games left (read: 105), but the 28-29 Nationals lost ground on the division-leading Braves this weekend, losing two of three to fall 6.5 games behind their NL East rivals.

Washington is batting .229 as a team, 28th out of 30 major-league teams, and has scored only 197 runs, 27th. Its roster has been decimated by injuries to key players. Manager Davey Johnson is starting to look like Colonel Sanders.

I could bloviate about the Nationals' struggles, but I think you'd rather hear from first baseman Adam LaRoche, who certainly has a way with words.

"We deserve to be where we're at right now," he told reporters after Washington's 6-3 loss Sunday. "We've played like crap, and still not in awful shape. It only goes so far, we're pretty deep into the season. We've got to get it going or else we won't be there in the end. I don't sense any panic or anyone stressing over it, but it'd be nice to pick it up a little."

The Nationals return home to face the Mets in a three-game series starting Tuesday.

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

I'll be the first to admit that I don't have the closest relationship with soccer -- I subscribe to the Kent Brockman ideology -- but once in a great while, something happens in a game match (see what I mean?) that grabs my attention, usually in the form of a hilarious blooper.

Sunday, there was a friendly at RFK Stadium between the United States and Germany as the former prepares for three World Cup qualifiers beginning Friday. Spoiler alert: The Americans won 4-3 for their first victory over the Germans since 1999 and Clint Dempsey scored twice in a five-minute span, but that wasn't hilarious. This was. 

German goaltender Marc-Andre ter Stegen mishandled a backpass from Benedikt Hoewedes and let what should have been a harmless pass roll into the net. The United States took a 2-0 lead on the play.

When I was in elementary school, I once won the Raspberries an indoor soccer championship by stopping a last-second shot with my...sensitive area. I think this might have hurt more than that.

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

The Washington Nationals have placed outfielder Bryce Harper on the 15-day disabled list, as the club's youngest star continues to deal with the effects of running into the outfield wall at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles earlier this year.

The news that the Nationals planned to place Harper on the disabled list was first reported by The Washington Times and was later corroborated by CSN Washington and CBS Sports. The move corresponds with the promotion of right-handed pitcher Erik Davis from AAA Syracuse, which the club announced late Friday following Washington's 3-2 win over the Atlanta Braves.

Harper has not played since May 26, when he went 1-for-3 with a walk in the Nats' 6-1 win over Philadelphia. The move is retroactive to May 27, Harper would be eligible to return June 12. Officially, the 20-year-old is dealing with bursitis in his knee, which has been an issue since Harper collided with the fence while tracking a fly ball May 13.

In all, Harper has played in 9 games and started 8 since the collision, going 7-for-31 (.226) with three extra-base hits, including two home runs. For the season, Harper is batting .286 with a .386 on-base percentage and a .587 slugging percentage. He has hit 12 home runs and driven in 23 runs.

For his part, the 26-year-old Davis has appeared in 21 games at Syracuse this year, posting a 1-2 record and a 3.00 ERA. He has also struck out 27 batters in 24.0 innings of work for a 10.1 strikeout-per-9-innings ratio.

The Nationals were scheduled to continue their series with the Braves Saturday at 7:15 p.m.

Stephen Strasburg lasted only two innings and 37 pitches before being pulled from the Nationals' 3-2 victory over the Braves Friday with a right oblique strain. He will return to Washington to be evaluated as the Nationals, who are currently missing Bryce Harper, Jayson Werth and Ross Detwiler, continue to be ravaged by injuries throughout their lineup.

“It’s something where, the last few starts I’d feel it warming up,” Strasburg told reporters. “I’d go out there and I wouldn’t feel anything. Tonight, it was more kind of like the reverse. I felt really good in the bullpen. I threw a couple pitches in there, and it started to tighten up. I felt it more and more. Nothing I could do about it. I’m kind of frustrated.”

Coincidentally, Friday was Strasburg's third consecutive start at Turner Field in which he left with some sort of injury or ailment. Last June 30, Strasburg was removed from the game after three innings with severe dehydration during the hottest day on record in Atlanta history.

In his first start in Atlanta this season on April 29, Strasburg lasted six innings before feeling tightness in his forearm. He was pulled as a precaution.

Craig Stammen filled in admirably for Strasburg, throwing four scoreless innings without allowing a hit to earn his third win of the season.

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

Earlier this week, 10 members of Congress wrote a letter to Dan Snyder, Roger Goodell and others urging them to change the name of Washington's professional football team, which I believe is called the "Redskins." Don't quote me on that, though.

Of course, the natural progression is to ask the leader of the free world for his opinion, which is what happened Thursday. Well, sort of.

Principal Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest held a "press gaggle" (which sounds much more fun than a conference) and was asked for President Obama's thoughts on the matter:

Q. One more, a little out of the box, since you went with it. A group of 10 Republicans are asking for the Redskins to change their name as to be less offensive to Native Americans. Does the President have any feeling on this?

MR. EARNEST: That's a good question, and it is outside the box. I’ll give you credit for that. I haven’t had a chance to speak with him about it, so I don't know if he has an opinion. (Laughter.)

Q. Go Ravens. (Laughter.)

Q. He supports the Blackhawks.

Problem solved.

(Wipes hands, walks away from issue that is far from solved)

Really though, I've spent time sharing others' opinions on the subject without sharing my own. Honestly, I don't really have one. I see both sides of the argument, but don't really lean one way or the other. Not that any of you care, but I thought it was only fair to share my (lack of) viewpoint.

{H/T Dan Steinberg)

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

Do you believe in ghosts? Bryce Harper might.

In the current issue of ESPN The Magazine, the Nationals outfielder, along with several other MLB All-Stars, traded ghost stories relating to the Pfister Hotel in downtown Milwaukee, where most visiting teams stay when they play the Brewers.

Allow me to set the scene.

Submitted for the approval of the Midnight Society, I call this story...

[Throws imaginary powder onto imaginary fire]

"The Tale Of The Moving Thing In Hotels You Sit On To Put On Your Shoes":

"One time last summer, before I went to sleep, I laid a pair of jeans and a shirt on that table at the foot of the bed, those things in hotels that you sit on to put on your shoes. I just laid 'em out, simple as that. When I woke up in the morning -- I swear on everything -- the clothes were on the floor and the table was on the opposite side of the room against the wall. I was so flustered. I honestly thought there might be someone in my room.

"I had no idea what the hell just happened, so I actually looked around, and then I checked to see if the door was still latched, and it was. I thought someone -- maybe [Jayson] Werth -- came into my room during the night and moved everything around, and I knew Tyler Moore and [Steve Lombardozzi] were both near me too, but they said that no one had done anything like that.

"Now, they could be lying to me. That's possible, and no one else seemed to have a weird experience, but it really creeped me out. I went downstairs and changed my rom immediately. Different room, different floor. I said, 'I just need to get out of that room. I don't want to talk about it, I just need to get out.' So they moved me to a higher floor."

I declare this meeting of the Midnight Society closed. Well, until Aug. 2-4, when Harper and the Nationals visit Milwaukee.

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

The Beltway Series transitioned from Nationals Park to Camden Yards Wednesday, but the power surge that highlighted Tuesday's contest followed the Nationals and Orioles to Baltimore. Both teams combined for eight home runs during the Orioles' 9-6 victory, one night after combining for six in the Nationals' 9-3 win.

Ryan Zimmerman, who entered the game with just three home runs, matched his season output with the first three-homer game of his career. All three came off Chris Tillman, who Zimmerman had never faced prior to Wednesday's game.

It was the ninth time in Washington/Montreal franchise history that a player hit three home runs in a game, five of which have been by third basemen.

Roger Bernadina also added his second home run in as many nights, sending a moonshot onto Eutaw Street in the top of the fourth.

Yet while Zimmerman may have hit three home runs, the Orioles still staged a comeback from a 6-2 deficit thanks to home runs from Nick Markakis, Steve Pearce and Chris Davis, who hit his major league-leading 19th home run (his second of the game) to cap it.

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

Tuesday, we reported that 10 members of Congress recently wrote a letter to Redskins owner Dan Snyder, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, FedEx president/CEO Frederick Smith and the other 31 NFL owners urging them all to consider adopting a new nickname for Washington's football team.

Now, we want to know: What do you think about Congress stepping in to this issue?

That's the question we're asking today, in our first News4/NBCWashington Flash Survey. And we want you to join in the voting.

Vote any of these ways:

• On Twitter - just tweet a "yes" or "no" to @nbcwashington
• On Facebook here

Here's the results we've gotten for this survey and our other recent surveys.

Davey Johnson's "rally goatee" finally paid off Tuesday as the Nationals cranked out four home runs in a 9-3 win over the Orioles, their largest offensive output since a 10-3 win over the Marlins on April 15.

Adam LaRoche hit two of the homers -- a three-run shot in the first and a solo blast in the eighth -- but it was the two home runs in between from Tyler Moore and Roger Bernadina that made baseball history.

Entering Tuesday's game, Moore was hitting .152, while Bernadina was hitting a paltry .121. When they went back-to-back off rookie Kevin Gausman in the fourth, it was the first time in almost 44 years that teammates hitting less than .160 (minimum of 60 at-bats) hit homers in the same game.

It was just the second time in the modern era (1900 to present); The Angels' Roger Repoz and Tom Egan each deep against the Athletics on July 20, 1969.

Of course, you may remember that date for another reason; Apollo 11 landed on the moon on that day.

Washington hadn't scored more than seven runs in 29 games dating back to last month. I guess you could say that's one small step for the Nationals.

I'll show myself out.

(Courtesy of Elias Sports Bureau)

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

Because the issues surrounding the Redskins name will never go away, 10 members of Congress recently wrote a letter to team owner Dan Snyder, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, FedEx president/CEO Frederick Smith and the other 31 NFL owners urging them all to consider adopting a new nickname for Washington's football team.

The 10 members in question are as follows: Co-Chairs of the Congressional Native American Caucus Tom Cole (R-Okla.) and Betty McCollum (D-Minn.), Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Gwen Moore (D-Wis.), Michael M. Honda (D-Calif.), Donna M. Christensen (D-U.S. Virgin Islands), Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), and Eni F.H. Faleomavaega (D-American Samoa).

Here is an excerpt from the letter:

The current Chairman and Chief of the Penobscot Nation, Chief Kirk Francis, recently stated in a joint statement that the [R-word] is ‘not just a racial slur or a derogatory term,’ but a painful ‘reminder of one of the most gruesome acts of . . . ethnic cleansing ever committed against the Penobscot people.’ The hunting and killing of Penobscot Indians like animals, as declared by Chief Francis, was ‘a most despicable and disgraceful act of genocide.’

In this day and age, it is imperative that you uphold your moral responsibility to disavow the usage of racial slurs. The usage of the [“R-word”] is especially harmful to Native American youth, tending to lower their sense of dignity and self-esteem. It also diminishes feelings of community worth among the Native American tribes and dampens the aspirations of their people.

We look forward to working with you to find a solution to this important matter.

The letter also said that "Native Americans throughout the country consider the ‘R-word’ a racial, derogatory slur akin to the ‘N-word’ among African Americans or the ‘W-word’ among Latinos" and that "the national coverage of Washington’s NFL football team profits from a term that is equally disparaging to Native Americans."

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

Usually, banter between professional athletes on Twitter is either boring or self-aggrandizing (Robert, I'm looking in your direction). Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, and a conversation between Denard Span and Ian Desmond on Sunday evening is one of them.

It seems that Desmond fancies himself a Wizards fan, so Span decided to put him to the test.

Behold.

@thisisdspan "come on mannnn" berman voice.

— Ian Desmond (@IanDesmond20) May 27, 2013

@thisisdspan nah I'm a wizards fan.

— Ian Desmond (@IanDesmond20) May 27, 2013

@thisisdspan hey man I got faith. I was an expo, seen miracles with my own eyes. We'll be alright.

— Ian Desmond (@IanDesmond20) May 27, 2013

@thisisdspan ha okafor n wall to be honest but I couldn't tell you any team in the nba starting five.

— Ian Desmond (@IanDesmond20) May 27, 2013

I would assume that Bradley Beal, Nene and Martell Webster are the others, but then again, the Wizards apparently used 42 different lineups this season.

Still, I'm going to go ahead and give Desmond a big ol' "F" for fun. Well, the "F" doesn't stand for "fun," but you know what I mean.

(H/T Nats Enquirer)

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

Remember when Bryce Harper ran into a wall about two weeks ago? How could you really forget since I've been jamming it down your throat? Sorry, it's been a slow second half of May.

Well, Sunday wasn't a good day for his sore left knee, which took a beating on two head-first slides in the first inning (which you can see below) and a foul ball that struck his knee in the third.

Harper eventually left the game in the bottom of the seventh after drawing a walk, doing so with a noticeable limp.

After the Nationals' 6-1 win over the Phillies, manager Davey Johnson said that he expects Harper to miss several days, an assertion that Harper vehemently disagreed with.

“I probably won’t get better until the offseason,” he told reporters. “So I’ll just have to deal with the pain and try to keep in there every day and we’ll see what happens.”

Of course, the most scrutinized knee in Washington sports belongs to Robert Griffin III, whose right knee was the subject of a Sportscenter "Live Look In" last week. So when a reporter compared Harper's situation to that of Griffin's (playing through an injury that probably shouldn't be played through), Harper was none too pleased.

"No, it's not," Harper responded. "That's a dumb comment."

Not quite a clown question, but it'll do.

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

In the top of the eighth inning against the Phillies Saturday evening, Nationals second baseman Steve Lombardozzi did something never before done in the majors (probably): He threw out a runner with his knee.

Okay, he didn't actually throw out Freddy Galvis with his knee, but it looked like he did, so we'll stick with that.

Take a look.

As Galvis laid down a drag bunt, Lombardozzi charged towards the ball, but as he attempted to corral it, it flew out of his glove. The ball, however, ricocheted off his left knee and right to Adam LaRoche at first for the out.

Unfortunately, Lombardozzi's feat was ultimately overshadowed by Delmon Young's RBI single and Domonic Brown's RBI double directly after as the Phillies won by a 5-3 score.

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

Nationals manager Davey Johnson vowed before Friday's game against the Phillies that he will not shave until his team's bats awaken.

The 70-year-old, sporting a white scraggly beard, apologized for his appearance upon arriving at his pregame press conference, but explained his reasoning behind his new look.

"If my facial hair looks bad, I decided I wouldn't shave until we started hitting," he told reporters. "I figured I couldn't get any uglier, so what the heck. Hopefully I can shave soon. I've never had a rally goatee. I'm not hairy enough to get one. Now it's gray, you can't hardly see it unless you get these close-ups that I get after the game, so I apologize."

Growing beards in sports is a common ritual. Hockey players don't shave during the playoffs, while the Dallas Mavericks made a pact vowing not to shave until they reached .500, a goal that took them over two months to reach earlier this year.

Despite having one of the most formidable lineups in baseball, the Nationals were only hitting .225 as a team entering Friday, the second-worst output in the majors, and had scored159 runs through 47 games, third-fewest. On its recently-completed 10-game West Coast road trip, Washington was shut out twice and scored nine runs during the latter half.

(Bryce Harper also developed a fear of walls and Ryan Mattheus broke his hand punching a locker, but that's neither here nor there.)

Friday, the Nationals scored five or more runs for just the eighth time in 21 games this month in a 5-2 win over the Phillies. A four-run fifth inning featuring an Adam LaRoche RBI triple and a Steve Lombardozzi RBI double put the game out of reach and prevented the Phillies from reaching .500 for the first time since April 14.

Yet that wasn't enough for the Nationals to allow Johnson to shave.

"They said it can't come off yet," Johnson said. "My wife, she probably wants me to take it off, I'm sure she does, but I might leave it on, see if this is not something strange happening here."

UPDATE: Per Joseph White of the Associated Press, Johnson will keep the stubble growing at least through Saturday's game against Philadelphia.

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

It's Friday, so let's go off the reservation a little bit (or more than usual).

Let's play a game. Take a look at the graphic below -- actually aired during a Kansas City Royals game on Fox Sports Kansas City -- and tell me what's wrong with it. I'll wait.

(Photo credit: @rebeccapbp)

You good? Alright. Well, of course, the most egregious error (with a local twist!) is that whoever created this graphic believed that Bryce Harper is actually "Bryce Hunter" and that he plays for the Detroit Tigers, who I believe will be upset with the fact that he's wearing a Nationals hat.

That's not all, though. Here are some other mistakes:

1. "Matt Jones" is a former NFL wide receiver who had trouble with the law and is now working as a radio personality in Arkansas. That's not Matt Jones. That's Matt Harvey and he plays for the Mets, not the Orioles.
2. Manny Machado (semi-local twist!) plays for the Orioles, not the White Sox.
3. Mike Trout plays for the Angels, though he'll play for the Yankees eventually. They always do...

So if you're struggling to be productive on the last day before a three-day holiday weekend, just remember that no matter how poorly you do your job today, someone's doing it worse.

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

Robert Griffin III said a lot of things during his 20-minute press conference Thursday, his first media availability with local reporters in nearly five months. Of course, the most important topic of the day (minus his thoughts on receiving wedding gifts from strangers) was an update on a potential return date as he continues to recover from offseason knee surgery.

According to Griffin, he hopes to return for the Redskins' season opener against the Eagles on Sept. 9, but he has no intention of rushing back.

"That's always been the goal, but once again I'm not gonna risk my career to play in one game. Yes, I'm 'All In For Week 1,' but I'm all in for my career as well."

Wait, play that back again.

"All In For Week 1." I feel like I've heard that exact phrase before...

Whether it was intentional or simply a force of habit considering he has about 200 sponsors and slogans to recite, Griffin snuck in a plug for Adidas.

Either way, I'm sure the higher-ups were pleased.

Check's in the mail, Bob.

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

As I mentioned earlier, Robert Griffin III addressed the media for the first time on team property since the end of last season Thursday, and as one would expect, he had a lot to say during his 20-minute press conference.

In the first of what surely will be many installments breaking down Griffin's presser (DISCLAIMER: I'm sorry), he shared the experience of his right knee surgery with the throng of reporters that descended upon Ashburn Thursday.

 According to RGIII, he actually didn't realize that he had his ACL reconstructed until after he woke up from what was originally scheduled to be LCL surgery. 

"The tough part about it honestly was I went into surgery not knowing what was wrong," he said. "I knew I was going to have to get my LCL repaired, but looking at the MRIs and everything, we couldn't really tell if my ACL needed to be repaired. I've been through this before, so I know if you have a patellar tendon graft on the same knee, you can't get it from the same knee, so I knew when I got put to sleep if I woke up and felt my left knee that I had surgery on my ACL.

"So I woke up -- the nurse didn't notice I was up -- and I felt my left leg. I went back to sleep because I didn't want to have to deal with it at that time. And yeah, it's tough for me to talk about it; it's one of the things I get emotional about because it was tough at that time. I woke back up and told everybody who was there in that room with me, and it was tough. That's the easiest way to say it.

"Yeah, I cried. Real men cry, doesn't matter. And I moved on. As soon as we finished our little cry festival, I put the date of the first week in my phone and that was my goal since then."

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

So this is sort of embarrassing, but I may have forgotten that Robert Griffin III was an NFL quarterback.

Hear me out. For the last several months, all we've seen of RGIII is him having a street named in his honor, tossing footballs to elephants and accepting wedding gifts from complete strangers, among other things. I just thought he was a wealthy man about town.

Thursday, Griffin actually donned a football helmet and put a heavy brace on his surgically repaired knee, and participated in the Redskins' oraganized team activities at Redskins Park.

(OK, I was being a little facetious about forgetting he played football, but it's nice to finally write about him getting on the field in some capacity again.)

Now, Griffin didn't exert himself too much -- as you can see from the live tweets from some of my venerable colleagues in Ashburn -- but that didn't stop ESPN from having a "Live Look In" of the franchise quarterback's butt while he was stretching.

#Redskins QB Robert Griffin III is on the field working on dropbacks and short throws with Garcon, Davis, Helu. Jogged a bit.

— Zac Boyer (@ZacBoyer) May 23, 2013

RG3 has been dropping back and throwing for abt 20 minutes. Mildly surprising.

— Tarik El-Bashir (@TarikCSN) May 23, 2013

RG3 is out here throwing to receivers in position drills and practicing handoffs at a measured pace. Still, he looks spry. #Redskins

— Rich Campbell (@Rich_Campbell) May 23, 2013

RG3 not wearing jersey, has big brave on right knee. Running plays with fellow injured players Garcon, Davis, Thompson, Reed.

— Joseph White Jr. (@JGWhiteAP) May 23, 2013

Robert Griffin is going through drills on the side, not in uniform. He's with several players healing from surgical repairs. #Redskins

— Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) May 23, 2013

Riveting action.

Griffin is set to address the media later this afternoon.

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

The narrative surrounding the Washington Nationals Tuesday was Bryce Harper's apparent fear of walls (which, after a quick check, we know is not an actual phobia) after crashing into one last week against the Dodgers.

One way to overcome a fear is to just face it head-on (well, except for Harper because he already did that, but you know what I mean). Wednesday, the 20-year-old had his chance at redemption and nailed it, making a catch right along the wall in the bottom of the sixth.

As Harper headed towards the dugout, he received congratulations from his teammates, including an excited high-five from Denard Span and a full-on hug from Ian Desmond.

"Maybe a little bit," Harper told reporters when asked if he had some sort of breakthrough. "But it’s still in my head. Trying to get past that, but it’s going to take time. We’ll see how it goes."

Oh, and Harper also accounted for both runs -- a solo shot in the top of the sixth and the game-winning run in the 10th on Desmond's single in Washington's 2-1 win over San Francisco, which snapped a four-game skid and ended their West Coast road trip.

“I was just glad I was going to be able to see him for another day,” Desmond told reporters when asked about the aforementioned hug. “He didn’t get sent down to Triple-A.”

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

Michael Jordan once said, "If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it or work around it."

Last week, Bryce Harper ran into the outfield wall at Dodgers Stadium, jammed his left shoulder and received a cut on his chin that required 11 stitches to close. So when faced with a similar situation Tuesday against the Giants, Harper had his chance to climb the wall, go through it or work around it.

He didn't do any of those things. Sound advice, MJ.

With the Nationals leading 2-1 in the bottom of the ninth, Gregor Blanco smoked a two-strike, two-out triple to right-center field. Harper went back to track the ball, but flinched in pursuit, allowing Blanco to slide safely into third.

 As you can see, Harper braces himself for impact pretty far from the wall.

OK, really far.

Blanco didn't score, but Pablo Sandoval's two-run walkoff home run in the 10th sent the Nationals to a 4-2 loss, their fourth consecutive defeat.

After the game, Harper admitted that last week's incident crept into his mind as he was running for Blanco's ball.

“I don’t want to hit the frickin’ wall full-on,” Harper told reporters. “Of course that crosses your mind after you jam into a wall. It doesn’t really feel very good. It [stinks] that I couldn’t make the play. I totally put that loss on me."

Apparently, Rafael Soriano, who allowed the triple, agreed with Harper's assessment, "dissing" the 20-year-old.

"With two outs and the tying run at first, you have to play the outfield so the ball doesn't go over your head,'' Soriano told reporters in Spanish. "It may not have been a catchable ball, but if we're positioned the right way, there might have been a different outcome. With two outs, I could tell my four-year-old son, 'You know where you need to play,' and he would go to the right spot to make the play. It's not an excuse, and I'm not speaking badly about anybody, but I think that's how you play the game."

Harper was so hard on himself that he said that he's "going to be in Triple A" if he doesn't overcome his newfound fear. Relax, kid. You're not going to be demoted.

Just stop running into things.

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

The Wizards were among the fortunate at Tuesday's NBA Draft Lottery, jumping up five spots to grab the third overall pick in next month's draft for the second year in a row.

Last summer, the Wizards selected guard Bradley Beal, who earned NBA All-Rookie first team honors (and represented the team Tuesday), so who will they choose on June 27? Based on expert mock drafts, it seems that there are really only two options.

Chad Ford, ESPN: Otto Porter, Georgetown

The Wizards need help at the small forward position and Porter, who played his college ball in Washington, appears to be the perfect fit. With two super backcourt scorers such as John Wall and Bradley Beal, having a forward who's a facilitator like Porter feels just right. The other player to watch carefully for the Wizards is Anthony Bennett. Sources say the Wizards also are very high on Bennett and could opt for his potent offensive game to expand their options at power forward.

Jonathan Givony, DraftExpress.com: Anthony Bennett, UNLV

The Wizards ranked last in offensive efficiency last season and depth at the guard positions is another area the team might look to address. Anthony Bennett might be the most talented prospect on the board regardless of position, and also fills a major need as a shooting four that can play alongside both Emeka Okafor and Nene. He looks like a good fit here considering Washington’s struggles offensively

Ben Standig, CSN Washington: Bennett

If forced to pick the best for future stardom among the 2013 class, the power-packed Bennett is a strong option. The Mountain West Rookie of the Year will miss the entire draft workout process following rotator cuff surgery, but there is plenty of game film showing the 6-foot-7 forward attacking the glass and scoring from all angles. Though not a textbook definition of a stretch-four, a position the Wizards are lacking, Bennett sank 37.5 percent of his attempts from the college 3-point line.

Scott Howard-Cooper, NBA.com: Porter

The Wizards get a very good outcome. Porter is a position need and coming off a season as the Big East Player of the Year that moved the versatile small forward into the top five.

Sean Deveney, Sporting News: Porter

Porter draws natural comparisons to another do-it-all Hoya small forward, Jeff Green. The comparison holds up fairly well—Porter is a better perimeter shooter than Green, but Green is a better athlete, ballhandler and passer.

Who should the Wizards select next month: Porter, Bennett or somebody else?

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

For the second year in a row, the Washington Wizards will hold the third overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft after jumping up five spots in Tuesday's Draft Lottery.

The Wizards had the eighth-best odds to earn the No. 1 overall pick at 3.5 percent and a 12.3 percent chance of landing in the top three. They moved up for just the third time in 17 lottery appearances.

Meanwhile, the Orlando Magic had the best chance to earn the top pick at 25 percent, but the Cleveland Cavaliers, which had a 15.6 percent chance, grabbed the No. 1 spot for the second time in three years.

Washington will have plenty of options at No. 3, including Georgetown's Otto Porter, Indiana's Victor Oladipo, Maryland's Alex Len and Michigan's Trey Burke. Nerlens Noel of Kentucky is expected to be the top overall selection on June 27.

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.

Oklahoma City Thunder star and Maryland native Kevin Durant is pledging $1 million for tornado relief through his family foundation.

The American Red Cross announced Tuesday that the gift from The Durant Family Foundation is meant to match other donations and be an incentive for more people to give. Red Cross' regional CEO Janienne Bella said the organization was thankful for Durant's ``generosity.''

The Red Cross is accepting $10 pledges from people who text ``REDCROSS'' to 90999. People can also donate at the organization's website.

On Monday, Durant sent a message to his 4.1 million Twitter followers with Red Cross donation information.

MORE FROM NBCWASHINGTON:

• Monster Tornado Kills 51, Including 20 Kids
• Dramatic Photos: Oklahoma Tornado Strike

The Nationals' season has certainly not gone the way they or anybody would have expected on Opening Day. Washington has lost seven of its last 10 -- including its last three by a combined score of 23-5 -- to drop to 23-22, 3.5 games behind first-place Atlanta in the NL East.

Those struggles were epitomized Monday when manager Davey Johnson revealed that reliever Ryan Mattheus broke his pitching hand punching a locker after allowing five runs in one inning Sunday during the Nationals' 13-4 loss to the Padres. Mattheus did not disclose his injury until Monday.

"[Sunday] after the game, he came in and was in the locker room and banged his glove against his locker with his hand in it," Johnson told reporters. "His hand didn't swell up but when he went out to throw today his hand swelled up and he couldn't throw the ball."

Mattheus' injury leaves Washington's bullpen in even more disarray as injuries have decimated the team's rotation; Monday, the Nationals used relievers Zach Duke and Craig Stammen to replace injured starter Ross Detwiler. In his first start since 2011, Duke allowed four runs on seven hits in 3.1 innings in an 8-0 loss to the Giants.

“I was pretty upset, and I let my emotions get the best of me,” Mattheus told reporters. “I hit my locker, and unfortunately I injured myself. It’s pretty embarrassing. It’s a tough one to swallow. I feel like I let the other 25 guys down on this team. I let the whole Washington Nationals organization down doing something stupid.”

Follow Adam on Twitter @AdamVingan and e-mail your story ideas to adamvingan (at) gmail.com.