HOUSTON — The trade that brought outfielder Wily Mo Pena to the District was completed yesterday in a three-team deal that included Boston and Arizona.
The Nationals acquired minor leaguer Chris Carter from the Diamondbacks and sent right-handed pitcher Emiliano Fruto to Arizona. Carter then was shipped to the Red Sox as the player to be named to finish the trade, which began Aug. 17.
Pena already has produced dividends for Washington, batting .455 with two home runs in three games before last night. His booming shot to left field Monday night gave his team a 1-0 lead in a 7-0 win over Houston.
The Nationals” players and coaching staff have praised the power Pena”s bat brings to the lineup since he joined the team.
Fruto was 3-9 and had a 5.26 ERA in 18 appearances for Class AAA Columbus. Carter, a left-handed first baseman who was playing for Class AAA Tucson, takes a .324 batting average, 18 home runs and 84 RBI to Boston.
Return to the rotation
Washington pitcher Mike Bacsik will make his first start tonight since Aug. 12 at Arizona.
The left-hander was taken out of the rotation when starter Shawn Hill returned from a right elbow injury. Bacsik was placed back in the rotation after Matt Chico, who had been the only Washington starter not to miss a start, was sent down to Class AAA Columbus.
Bacsik, who pitched in relief twice in his stint in the bullpen, allowed a combined 15 hits and 10 earned runs in his last two starts.
“I just have to throw better pitches,” Bacsik said. “Last time [I started], I just didn”t throw good pitches.”
Bacsik was strong in July, going 3-1 with a 2.97 ERA. He”s 1-0 in August, but his ERA for the month was 6.16.
“There’s no concern,” Nationals manager Manny Acta said. “We took him out when Shawn Hill came back. He”s been good, and he”s had rough outings, but so has everybody else in this rotation and everybody else in everybody else”s rotations.”
Bacsik said switching back and forth between the starting rotation and the bullpen doesn”t seem to have an effect on him.
“Not for a guy like me,” he said. “I’ve done it before. For a starter who”s been starting forever or a reliever that”s always been a reliever, it might be tough.”
Bacsik already faced the Astros once this season, lasting 52/3 innings and allowing seven hits and two runs (one earned) in a 4-3 win for Washington on July 16. Bacsik didn”t get the victory.
Injury update
Nationals first baseman Nick Johnson, who has spent all season on the disabled list, had a successful operation to have the rod and pin removed from his hip yesterday.
Left-handed pitcher Micah Bowie, who made his fifth rehab start with Columbus on Monday, had a slight setback in his attempt to return from synovitis when he strained his left groin.
Pitcher Jason Bergmann, recovering from a hamstring injury, is still one rehab start away from being 100 percent and returning to the major league club, Acta said yesterday.
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