Nationals-Braves postpone game
The Washington Nationals postponed Monday night’s game against the Atlanta Braves following shootings at the nearby Navy Yard.
The game was rescheduled as part of a day-night doubleheader today.
“It’s a very emotional day. An extremely horrific act happened very near to the ballpark,” Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to all the victims over there and all the people affected by this. We felt it was inappropriate to play a major league baseball game with such tragedy right down the street.”
Located just blocks from the Navy Yard, one of the stadium’s parking lots was used for families of the Navy Yard employees to meet following the evacuation of the facility.
“Major League Baseball mourns those who have been lost to this senseless tragedy,” Commissioner Bud Selig said. “Major League Baseball’s security department will continue to track this matter in consultation with the Nationals and under the guidance of the local authorities.”
The doubleheader will open a three-game series. The Braves have a 10-game lead over second-place Washington in the N.L. East, and the Nationals began Monday 4 1/2 games behind Cincinnati for the final N.L. wild-card berth.
Peralta headed to instructional league
Jhonny Peralta is expected to leave for the instructional league in Florida on Wednesday to keep working toward rejoining the Detroit Tigers after completing his 50-game suspension.
General manager Dave Dombrowski has said if Peralta returns, it won’t be as the team’s starting shortstop. The Tigers acquired SS Jose Iglesias from Boston to replace Peralta prior to his suspension following baseball’s investigation into Biogenesis of America.
Manager Jim Leyland didn’t want to speculate on whether Peralta would be part of the roster, possibly in the outfield, if the Tigers reach the postseason.
Top pitching prospect Yordano Ventura will make his major league debut for Kansas City tonight when he takes Danny Duffy’s place in the rotation against visiting Cleveland. Duffy has been experiencing some inflammation in his surgically repaired left elbow. … Injured Mets ace Matt Harvey traveled to Pensacola, Fla., to see Dr. James Andrews for a second opinion on his injured right elbow. The 24-year-old right-hander is trying to avoid reconstructive surgery, which would sideline him for 2014, after he was diagnosed with a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament on Aug. 26.