What's Wrong with the Washington Nationals Bullpen?

The bullpen for the Washington Nationals is struggling to bring their save record up while contending with injuries that are crippling them.

Their number one closer, Chad Cordero, has been sidelined most of the first part of the season, with a torn right latissimus dorsi muscle, and will remain on the injured list for the rest of the season with torn right labrum. This same injury put reliever Ryan Wagner on the sidelines since last season also.

Number two in the bullpen is Jon Rauch and his performance hasn’t been the best lately either. However, manager Manny Acta said he would not hesitate to use Wagner in a similar situation as the one he blew during his last time out.

The team itself has hit a rough patch, scoring no more than 4 runs only three times in the past seven games. Therefore, the bullpen is crucial to the Nationals success this season. The bullpens was rated fourth in the in the National League last year, but is showing none of that success this year.

Some talk of trading Cordero has surfaced, but that would leave the bullpen with only two experienced relievers: Raush and Luis Ayala. Other pitchers in the bullpen are rookies without much experience in the big leagues. A couple of them are Adam Carr, who comes from Oklahoma State where he had an impressive career, and Zech Zinicola, who was the Minor Leagues Player of the Year in 2006.

With the bullpen as anemic as it seems, perhaps the Nationals should concentrate on getting Cordero well and keeping him on their roster.