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Jayson Werth News & Rumors

Jayson Werth got best possible result from wrist injury
May 9
Washington Times
 
"When Washington outfielder Jayson Werth walked off the field at Nationals Park on Sunday night, head down and clutching his left wrist, more than one stomach churned. Not only did Werth look to be in significant pain, but a ligament injury to the same wrist in 2005 nearly ended his career. The way it looked at the outset, there really was no worse place for Werth to be injured. Nationals manager Davey Johnson called it "tragic.""
The Nationals will rely on Xavier Nady, Roger Bernadina and not seek a trade for Werth
May 9
Washington Post
 
"The Nationals plan to weather their latest and perhaps most devastating injury without looking outside their organization for help. With Jayson Werth out for roughly 10 to 12 weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a broken wrist, General Manager Mike Rizzo will not push to make a trade to replace him. "With injuries come opportunities," Rizzo said. "We're going to give a handful of guys an opportunity to perform out there and see if they can help themselves in their career path and help the ballclub win some games. We feel comfortable with the guys we have in-house. We're going to give them opportunities to take the job, and for somebody to take the job and run with it.""
Nationals' Werth undergoes surgery on broken wrist
May 8
Washington Times
 
"Washington Nationals right fielder Jayson Werth, who suffered a clean break of his left wrist Sunday night, underwent surgery Monday at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., the team announced. The procedure was performed by Dr. Richard A. Berger. Rehab will begin immediately. Werth is expected to begin strengthening exercises at the six-week mark when the fracture has healed, followed by progressive baseball activities. He is expected to be sidelined 10 to 12 weeks."
Jayson Werth: I'm motivated by Phillies fans
May 8
Washington Post
 
"Jayson Werth underwent surgery on his broken left wrist Monday at the Mayo Clinic. He will begin strengthening exercises within six weeks, the Nationals announced. Players with his injury — a distal radius fracture — typically miss 10 to 12 weeks. Werth will work to come back sooner, in part because of how he left. In an e-mail to the Post, Werth said Phillies fans in right field at Nationals Park taunted him as he walked off the field Sunday night. And he will remember them during his rehab."
With Jayson Werth out with a broken wrist, the Nationals have to ask even more of Bryce Harper
May 8
Washington Post
 columnist Adam Kilgore
"The Nationals could hardly have asked more of Bryce Harper during his first week in the majors. They toggled him between two outfield positions. They moved to third in the batting order. He kept on delivering: highlight catches and laser-beam throws, professional at-bats and clutch hits, advanced maturity and a steal of home. "The kid has answered all the questions he needs to answer," shortstop Ian Desmond said. With Jayson Werth sidelined for the better part of the next three months, the Nationals will have to ask even more of Harper. Ryan Zimmerman will ease some of his burden when he returns after missing 13 games. If Michael Morse returns in June like he hopes, that will help, too."
Werth has wrist surgery, out at least 12 weeks
May 7
MLB.com
 
"Nationals right fielder Jayson Werth had left wrist surgery on Monday, according to a baseball source. He is expected to be out at least 12 weeks. It is believed a steel plate was inserted in his wrist. Having wrist problems is nothing new to Werth. He broke the same wrist as a member of the Dodgers in 2005. He ended up missing all of 2006 because of the injury."
Jayson Werth breaks left wrist, could be out months
May 7
Washington Post
 
"Jayson Werth broke his left wrist while making a sliding catch in the sixth inning and will likely be out, Manager Davey Johnson said, for a few months, dealing the Nationals another blow to their already injured roster. Werth, the Nationals everyday right field who was enjoying a solid season so far, suffered a "clean break" of the wrist, Johnson said. Werth, whose career was almost derailed in 2005 he was hit by a pitch on the same wrist, will consult the same specialist who helped him recover from that injury to see where any ligaments were damaged or if there were further complications, a team spokesman said."
Jayson Werth single gives Nats a win in 13 innings
April 14
Washington Post
 
"Jayson Werth, the antihero trying to win over Washington, insists he does not think about his first season with the Washington Nationals. "Last year's over," he said. When he stepped into the batter's box Nationals Park after 11 p.m. on Friday night, the bases loaded and one out in the 13th inning, he had an opportunity to win the game and to convince the rest of the world this is a new year. A few minutes later, Werth jogged down the first base line and tossed his black bat to the ground. His game-winning single had lifted the Nationals to a 2-1, 13-inning victory over the Cincinnati Reds, their fourth straight win and second straight walk-off in extra innings. Their dearth of offense"
Jayson Werth turns around his tough start with a four-hit game
April 12
Washington Post
 
"Four games in the scheme of a baseball season is nothing, and Jayson Werth would not let four games sway his feeling toward his swing. Even as strikeouts mounted and his average sounded like a Bingo cal — "OH, 71! .071!" — Werth insisted he felt good at the plate. "I felt like I've been swinging the bat pretty good since the middle of January, really," Werth said. "But I haven't had a whole lot to show for it." Now, after just one night, he does. Werth entered Tuesday's 6-2 Nationals win 1 for 14 with seven strikeouts. Then Werth went 4 for 5 with a double and two RBI, his first four-hit game since June 27, 2009. Werth, obviously, had not produced a four-hit game with the Nationals. Only"
For Nationals' Jayson Werth, comforts of home make all the difference
April 2
Washington Post
 
"Jayson Werth learned a lesson this winter about his new home city, one any freshly minted Washingtonian could relate to. One wrong turn, and you could wind up anywhere. Three days before spring training, Werth was making the daily drive from his house in suburban Virginia to work out at Nationals Park. "I zigged when I should have zagged," he recalled. Werth peered through his windshield and found himself next to another tall, bearded figure who was reared in Springfield, Ill., before he came to D.C."
Jayson Werth plans on hanging out a while
April 2
Washington Post
 
"In my story in today's Post, Jayson Werth mentions longevity as one of the reasons for optimism that 2011 will be a blip, not the start of the long slide. "I got six more years on this contract," he said, "and I plan on playing after this contract." Werth will be 39 when his current contract ends, but it was not the first time Werth had brought up his desire to play a long career. Last year, in early August, Werth sat his locker in Colorado and explained his future plans. He anticipates remaining a regular starter for the duration of this deal. Even if not, Werth said, he believes he will hang as a bench player. And he has family experience to draw from. "My grandfather [Ducky Schofield]"
How far did Jayson Werth's truck-hitting home run travel? Boz investigates
March 27
Washington Post
 
"A day later, Jayson Werth's mammoth home run – the one that flew clear out of Space Coast Stadium and may or may not have hit his large, white pick-up truck – remained the talk of Nationals' spring training. Davey Johnson again called it the hardest ball Werth has hit as a National. The effort to determine if Werth really did hit his own truck raged on. "It just left a hole in the Earth where my truck used to be," Werth said. Then Werth relented and said the ball, according to a parking lot attendant, had actually hit the bumper."
Baseball part of Werth's DNA
March 26
Washington Times
 columnist Dan Daly
"A batting cage is set up in the backyard of Jayson Werth's Northern Virginia manse, a cage much like one in his own yard during his Springfield, Ill., youth. If Werth's two sons, ages 10 and 7, feel so inclined, they can duck inside the netting and take some hacks - and maybe become the fourth generation in the family to play in the major leagues. "It'll be up to them just like it was up to me," the Washington Nationals' right fielder said after Tuesday's workout at Space Coast Stadium. "My 10-year-old wants to play, loves the game. The 7-year-old, he's coming around. If that's what they want to do, great. If they want to do something else, I'm fine with that, too.""
Offensive barrage, tall tale after Jayson Werth's home run brighten the mood
March 26
Washington Post
 columnist Thomas Boswell
"(Editor: Let's hold the Nationals obituary column for later this week. Will find another subject for Monday paper. Boz.) Oh, sorry. Got to keep those internal memos more confidential. After the Nationals went 0-10-1 in their previous 11 games, Manager Davey Johnson went to several of his everyday players, who'd been leaving games after three at-bats and seldom going to road games at all, and said, "You'll be playing a little more .?.?. Jayson Werth, you've got nine [innings]." "It's about time," said Werth."
Jayson Werth may have hit his own truck with a long home run
March 26
Washington Post
 
"The rumor started floating around the Nationals clubhouse as soon as players trickled back into their happy clubhouse. "Folklore," Jayson Werth said. The home run Werth had crushed in the first inning deserved a legend attached to it. A member of the grounds crew sent word that the baseball Werth swatted clean out of Space Coast Stadium had flown over the bleachers and crashed into his own truck. "That's usually where I park," Werth said. "You can only hope." The mammoth home run continued the good feeling Werth has about this spring, and the rest of the Nationals have about him. With the increased comfort his second season in the same place brought, Werth has used this spring to separate"
Michael Morse won't play first base this spring, Jayson Werth will play center
March 5
Washington Post
 
"Michael Morse is starting today at designated hitter. In coming games, he'll play left field, the position the Nationals have him slated to play all season. The position Morse will not play all spring, Manager Davey Johnson said, is first base. Last year, Morse took over at first base when Adam LaRoche went down for the season in May with a torn labrum. His move from the outfield to first coincided with his offensive breakout, an offensive surge that ended with him hitting 30 home runs and emerging as the Nationals' best hitter. "He worked hard and got comfortable at first," Johnson said. "With Adam being out, we needed to see if he could get some experience going to left. I was thinking"
Jayson Werth misses Nationals spring training workout with back spasms
February 29
Washington Post
 
"Nationals right fielder Jayson Werth missed today's spring training workout because back spasms, Manager Davey Johnson said. Johnson expects Werth will be fine. Johnson had planned to leave Werth in Viera when the Nationals travel to Kissimmee for their spring training game Saturday. Johnson does not expect Werth to miss a significant number of spring games, "but it's not something I'm taking any chances with," Johnson said. "I know he worked out and hit a lot in D.C. So I'm not worried about him.""
Jayson Werth: 2011 'doesn't define me as a baseball player'
February 19
Washington Post
 
"The numbers are there forever, and Jayson Werth knows he can't change them now, and probably would not care even if he could. His first season as a Washington National included more individual struggles than success, a .232 batting average to go with a .330 on-base percentage and slugging .389. It's over now, though, "water under the bridge," Werth said. Werth's second season started today, when he arrived early at the Nationals' spring training complex for informal workouts and batting practice with a handful of teammates. "I'm home now," Werth said. He is intent on proving last season was a fluke, confident his legacy in Washington will be shaped more by what comes next than what"
The Nationals may wait to land their center fielder
December 29
Washington Post
 
"Mike Rizzo said something today during an interview with MLB Network radio that I had been meaning to point out (I e-mailed myself a note about it and everything, Rizzo just beat me to it) about the Nationals' center field situation. That is: This year's center field free agent class is barren, and next year's looks like it'll be loaded. "We see the 2013 free agent class at center field is much stronger than it is for the 2012 season," Rizzo said. We know [Jayson] Werth can handle the center field position. It's not a perfect world for us. … We recognize that we need a true gliding, defensive, rangy center fielder out there in a perfect world. As far as the 2012 season we're not going to"
Jayson Werth open to playing center field
December 7
Washington Post
 
"Jayson Werth trotted to center field and took his position almost every game this September, a decision still reverberating as the Nationals march through the offseason. They wanted to know if Werth could play center. They determined he can, and now the possibility colors their search for a center fielder, the complexion of their outfield and maybe even the starting point of uber-prospect Bryce Harper. The Nationals are prepared to trade for a center fielder. But they do not feel forced to, in large part because of Werth's experience this fall. And today, Werth sent word he would be plenty open to playing center field, or anywhere in the outfield, for that matter."
Jayson Werth reflects on his first Nationals season
September 29
Washington Post
 
"The first of Jayson Werth's seven seasons in Washington will come to an end later today. From the start, Werth sought to place his Nationals tenure in the context of the franchise's advancement. In Viera, Fla., this past March, Werth sat in the dugout at Space Coast Stadium and largely deflected questions about his personal history. He was more interested in sharing how he envisioned the Nationals progressing. Werth's season by any objective measure would be classified as a letdown. After signing a seven-year, $126 million contract, he's hitting .233/.332/.391 and has produced fewer than three wins above replacement, the catch-all metric formulated by FanGraphs.com that aims to measure a"
Jayson Werth likely out until the weekend
September 22
Washington Post
 
"Jayson Werth will sit tonight and likely tomorrow with the right elbow contusion that knocked him out of Tuesday night's game. Werth left the game after catcher Carlos Ruiz drilled him with a pickoff throw to third base. Werth's absence means his season against the Phillies, his former team, is probably over. Werth hit .228/.258/.333 with one home run and three doubles in 15 games."
Jayson Werth day-to-day after getting hit in elbow
September 21
Washington Post
 
"The Nationals consider outfielder Jayson Werth day-to-day after he exited Game 2 of Tuesday's doubleheader sweep of the Phillies with a right elbow contusion. Werth sustained the injury when catcher Carlos Ruiz drilled him in what he called the "not-so-funny bone" with an errant pickoff throw at third base. Werth scored when the ball deflected into foul territory and headed immediately to the clubhouse, accompanied by a trainer."
Jayson Werth, Michael Morse form what could be a lasting outfield combination
September 1
Washington Post
 
"With Jayson Werth having returned from the rest mandated by Manager Davey Johnson, the Nationals are using a combination in left and center field that will likely become commonplace for the rest of the season – and perhaps next season, too. Werth will play center, where the Nationals currently have a 2012 need, and Michael Morse will play left, where the Nationals are likely to move him when Adam LaRoche returns to first base next season. When the Nationals signed Werth this offseason, General Manager Mike Rizzo touted Werth's ability to play center as one reason for the acquisition. Werth, who frequently filled in for Shane Victorino in center field when he played for the Phillies, can"
Jayson Werth back to right field, and still hitting second
August 29
Washington Post
 columnist Adam Kilgore
"Jayson Werth will move back to right field after playing center last night for the first time as a National. Manager Davey Johnson still wants to see Werth play center this season, but today his injury status make him better suited for a corner outfield spot. Werth fouled a ball off his foot last night, and also has a sore right hand that requires a wrap around his thumb. Right field is less than strenuous physically than center, and Johnson and Werth agreed it would be best for Werth to take right this afternoon. Rick Ankiel will play center, returning to the lineup after three games on the bench. While Werth moved back to right field, he remained at second in the batting order, the spot"
'Dragging' Ryan Zimmerman to get rest, Jayson Werth adjusts to center field
August 28
Washington Post
 
"Nationals Manager Davey Johnson double-switched Ryan Zimmerman out Saturday night's 6-3 loss in the ninth inning, which turned out to be an early start on a long break for Zimmerman. Johnson, feeling that Zimmerman is tiring, will give him the day off Sunday, allowing Zimmerman two consecutive days off with Monday's scheduled off day. Zimmerman underwent surgery in May to repair a torn abdominal muscle that kept him out months. Johnson said Zimmerman has no specific injury now, just typical wear and tear. "I know he's been dragging," Johnson said. "He's just so valuable to the ballclub. I wanted to give him a breather, but we've got an off day coming Monday. I'm planning on giving him"
Jayson Werth left game with mild groin strain
August 24
Washington Post
 
"Jayson Werth left Tuesday night's 2-0 Nationals loss to the Diamondbacks with a mild groin strain, which he suffered chasing Ian Kennedy's single to right in the fifth inning. Werth remained in the game until the ninth, when Brian Bixler replaced him. Werth called his removal "more precautionary, probably, than anything" and was not concerned about missing extended time. Manager Davey Johnson said he will check with Werth before the game to determine if he will play Wednesday night. "It could just be like a muscle spasm. We'll see tomorrow. I don't think it should be a big deal. Whether Davey wants to play me tomorrow or not, I don't know. .?.?. I don't think it's anything to worry about.""
Jayson Werth sparks Washington past Arizona
August 23
Washington Post
 
"In the previous game, before a raucous crowd at Nationals Park, Jayson Werth did what has come to be expected from him in the first year of his gigantic contract with Washington. He struck out three times — twice looking — against his former team, the Philadelphia Phillies. The third-largest crowd in stadium history booed, which might have caused one to wonder: Were the catcalls coming from fans of his former team or his current one? On Monday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Werth turned in a completely different performance. He collected two hits, including a three-run homer to the opposite field in the fourth inning, to power the Nationals to a 4-1 win behind a strong start from"
How Jayson Werth 'reset' his swing
August 15
Washington Post
 
"At the all-star break, Jayson Werth had reached the bottom of his season-long funk. His numbers would drop – statistically, his lowest point came four games after the break, when he was hitting .211 with a .669 OPS. Mentally, though, the low point came at the midway point. "I took four days off at the all-star break and I kind of just hit the reset button, started over," Werth said. "It seemed like I was a long way from home, I guess you could say. I went back to some fundamental things and some fundamental thoughts. I really took a look at how to solve the riddle of the timing of my swing." By that point, Werth had noticed a glitch in his swing that threw off his timing, which for him is"
Jayson Werth has much to prove in season's final months
August 15
Washington Post
 
"Jayson Werth knew he deserved more playing time, and he walked into his manager's office carrying the evidence. This was the middle of 2007, Werth's first season with the Philadelphia Phillies — before he became an October hero, before he finished eighth in the Most Valuable Player balloting and before he signed the richest contract in the history of the Washington Nationals. Werth felt he had not gained Phillies Manager Charlie Manuel's trust — he was not, he said, one of "Charlie's guys." He wanted to play more. Manuel wanted him to hit right-handed pitching better. Werth found a different kind of solution. He plunked down a highlight tape on Manuel's desk. The footage, collected from"
Werth and Zimmerman heating up at the plate alongside Morse
August 4
Washington Post
 
"For much of the season, it was Michael Morse and Danny Espinosa carrying the Nationals offense. And as the rest of the offense sputtered through inconsistency, lack of hits with runners in scoring position and injury, players kept saying and holding out hope that eventually more than two guys' hot streaks would overlap. Though the run totals have yet to show it, over the past three weeks, Jayson Werth and Ryan Zimmerman have joined Morse as the team's hot hitters. "We're inching closer to the whole lineup being productive," Johnson said before Wednesday's 6-4 loss to Atlanta. "You see flashes of a guy here and a guy there but the consistency basically for a year, Morse has been pretty"
Not so Werth-less for Nats anymore
July 22
Washington Examiner
 
"Is Jayson Werth finally on track? It was just one game, but the Nationals right fielder's 3-for-5 performance Wednesday against the Houston Astros was better than nothing. Werth smoked two doubles and a home run in a 3-2 extra-inning loss. The Nats aren't a legitimate playoff contender at this point given their roster limitations -- but a winning season is still in play. That's not happening unless Werth gets hot. From June 25 to July 19, Washington's premier free agent signing last winter produced one extra-base hit. He was 10-for-75 (.133 batting average) and had struck out 27 times to 11 walks."
Jayson Werth breaks slump, but Houston prevails in extra innings
July 21
Washington Post
 
"Jayson Werth flicked away his black bat and stared for a moment at the ball he had sent soaring through the air, a small luxury with which he'd become unfamiliar. More than a month had passed since his last home run. Fans at Nationals Park have booed him. One District bar is pricing discounted beer in relation to his shrinking batting average. How low would he go? Wednesday afternoon, in the Washington Nationals' walk-off, 3-2 loss to the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park, Werth may have put the worst behind him. He went 3 for 5 with a two-run home run and two doubles, ending a 105-at-bat drought without a homer by blasting a first-pitch sinker to left against former teammate Brett Myers"
Werth's struggles followed by silence
July 11
Washington Times
 columnist Dan Daly
"Jayson Werth is in a lonely place right now — and I'm not talking about all those empty seats in the right-field stands. The way he's swinging the bat, every pitcher looks like Roy Halladay (if not Christy Mathewson). Worse, he's new in Washington, so it's not like he's built up a lot of capital with Nationals Nation. Then there's his contract, which is looking more and more like a cement overcoat: seven years (only 6½ to go), $126 million. Let's face it, Werth isn't that kind of player. Never has been, never will be. The moment he scribbled his name on the dotted line, it virtually was assured he'd be a disappointment here. I mean, how many guys are really worth that much money — or"
Werth shrugs off boos
July 10
Washington Examiner
 
"Jayson Werth does not seem like a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Maybe that's because the Nationals right fielder knew what he was getting into after signing a seven-year, $126 million contract with Washington last December. Every expensive deal brings a level of scrutiny that must be reckoned with during the following season. Werth is experiencing that now as every strikeout produces a chorus of boos at Nationals Park, every runner left on base brings grumbles from the fans who thought they were getting an All-Star outfielder. Entering this weekend's series against the Colorado Rockies, Werth was batting .218 with 10 home runs and 31 RBI. Werth's OPS -- a better"
Jayson Werth will get better, but will that be enough for Nats fans?
July 7
Washington Post
 columnist Thomas Boswell
"If Washington Nationals fans want a glimpse of the next seven years with Jayson Werth, they probably got to see it this week when ex-Nat Alfonso Soriano came to town as a Chicago Cub. Sometimes, baseball is so simple, but people make it so hard. Werth, who signed for seven years for $126 million, and Soriano, who signed for $136 million for eight years after the 2006 season, have identical .832 OPS figures — that's slugging percentage plus on-base percentage. That's who they are. It's their baseball DNA. In five years as a Cub, Soriano's OPS has been .826. With age, injuries have cost him about 30 games a season, but he's still hit 120 homers. He remains fast, but doesn't steal anymore —"
Jayson Werth happy with Nats
July 6
ESPN.com
 
"Nationals right fielder Jayson Werth is in a major funk these days, but in spite of his struggles he said he has no regrets over the seven-year commitment he made to the club in December. Werth is hitting .221 with 30 RBIs in 83 games, and his lack of production has already created one bizarre plot twist this season. During a trip to Philadelphia, his former club, in May, Werth received two standing ovations from the Citizens Bank Park crowd. In Washington, he's become the target of frequent and more pronounced booing in recent weeks from fans who expected a lot more in return for the Nationals' $126 million investment. Contrary to some speculation in baseball circles, Werth is not"
Hairy reception for Nats' Werth
July 6
Washington Examiner
 
"Maybe the boos were inevitable. When outfielder Jayson Werth inked a seven-year, $126 million contract with the Nationals in December, the organization was ripped in some quarters for overpaying a fine player who couldn't possibly live up to that kind of deal. With Werth struggling, it appears a segment of the fanbase agrees; the boo birds made an appearance over the holiday weekend. But if that frustration bothers Werth, he sure doesn't show it. "It's baseball. Cheer me, boo me, whatever. I'm still going to go out there and play my game," Werth said after his hustle led to the winning run in Monday's 5-4 victory over the Cubs. "Obviously, driving in runs, scoring runs is part of the game."
Werth vanishes along with good vibe
July 4
Washington Times
 columnist Dan Daly
"The dam finally broke for the Washington Nationals on Sunday. Four outs into the game, Jason Marquis was standing ankle-deep in Runs Allowed - seven of them, six earned - with more on the way. Davey Johnson, the Nats' new manager, could have taken a Jet Ski to the mound to remove him. Who couldn't have seen this coming? After a month of tight, low-scoring games - most of which, miraculously, had ended up in the win column - the locals were overdue for a 10-2 stinker like Sunday's, in which they trailed 8-0 after 1 1/2 innings and did little to fire up the Fourth of July weekend crowd. Let's face it, the Nationals came pretty close to maxing out in the first half of the season - not"
Jayson Werth leaves after getting hit in the wrist, likely out Monday
July 4
Washington Post
 
"Already trying to fight out of a sustained batting slump, Jayson Werth will have to contend with a sore left wrist that forced him from today's 10-2 loss to the Pirates and will almost certainly keep him out of Monday's lineup against the Cubs. Manager Davey Johnson pulled Werth in the sixth after Kevin Correia hit him with a 93-mph cut fastball on the wrist, the spot where he wears a specially designed pad to protect him from the kind of play that once put his career in jeopardy. When the pitch smacked off Werth's wrist, he slammed his bat to the ground and walked to first base. Johnson and a trainer came out to retrieve Werth, and he left only after he waived them off at first. After the"
Michael Morse's hit-by-pitch, Jayson Werth booed by fans
July 3
Washington Post
 
"After being hit squarely on the left forearm by a 94-mph fastball by Pirates reliever Chris Resop, Michael Morse said he was fine and that the injury, which isn't expect to sideline him, was just a bruise Morse grimaced after the pitch, grabbing his left forearm and walking to first. Brian Bixler pinch ran for Morse after the injury not because the first baseman was hurt, but because Bixler is a quicker runner, a weapon with a tie game in the bottom of the eighth. Jayson Werth, who was hitting after Morse, popped out to right field for the inning's first out. In the second game of the doubleheader, Werth finished 0 for 3 with two strikeouts and a run scored after reaching on a walk. In"
Jayson Werth says Scott Boras did not solicit him last summer
June 23
Washington Post
 
"In response to a recent ESPN.com story, Nationals right fielder Jayson Werth said agent Scott Boras did not solicit him last summer before he switched from his former representative to the sport's most high-profile agent. "I ended up inviting him into my home for a meeting that lasted the better part of three hours," Werth said. "I was not solicited or bothered or anything like that. I was hearing all the good things from friends and former teammates of mine. In the situation I was in, it would have been irresponsible not to at least hear what he had to say and give him the benefit of the doubt, meet with him. In no way was I being harassed or bothered or anything other than what I wanted."
Jayson Werth was liking the Nationals Park crowds this weekend
June 20
Washington Post
 
"Over the weekend, Nationals Park was more packed than it has been at any time this season. The series attendance total for Nationals-Orioles came to more than 107,000. Sunday, cars were parked on the roof of the garage out beyond center field, a rarity and a sign of a large crowd. The presence of all those fans thrilled at least one Nationals player. "I thought it was awesome," Jayson Werth said. The big crowds over the weekend, of course, had as much to do with the opponent as the Nationals' recent surge. This is an estimate, but judging by crowd noise and the colors in the stands, it seemed like about three-quarters of Sunday's crowd was Orioles fans. And as for those cars on the roof,"
Jayson Werth not surprised to leadoff, and Jim Riggleman explains the Nationals lineup
June 12
Washington Post
 
"The state of the Nationals offense necessitated some kind of change. Their leadoff batters to this point in the season have a collective .267 on-base percentage, worst in the majors by 12 points. In their past nine games, they have scored three or fewer runs seven times. They are scoring 3.77 runs per game, 23rd in the majors. "The bottom line is," Jayson Werth said, "we need to start scoring some runs." Manager Jim Riggleman decided the time for change had come today. Werth will bat leadoff for the first time this season and, more striking, Roger Bernadina will hit ninth, with starting pitcher John Lannan hitting eighth. The moves will give Werth, whose .345 on-base percentage leads the"
Jayson Werth thinks he'll need 'one more day'
June 8
Washington Post
 
"Jayson Werth will sit out for the second straight after he "jammed" his right ankle on a pitching mound in foul territory Monday night, but he does not believe the injury will linger much longer or worsen to the point he will have to consider the disabled list. "I could probably play today, but I wouldn't be able to run too well," Werth said. "One more day, I'll be fine." After the game Monday, Werth said he thought he could play Tuesday, and did not seem to give much though to the possibility of not playing. "I was surprised; I really was," Werth said. "That's why I feel like it's not too serious. Plus, it's early in the morning here. Maybe by midgame, it'll loosen up a little. I want to"
Jayson Werth scratched with sore right ankle
June 8
Washington Post
 
"Jayson Werth has been scratched with a sore right ankle, which he turned last night while chasing down by the bullpen mound in foul territory at AT&T Park. Werth will be available to play tonight as a replacement. Laynce Nix will start in Werth's place at right field. Last night, Werth ran into foul territory in the eighth inning to field a bloop down the line. He tripped on the mound and crumpled to the ground, but he stayed in the game. Late last night, he admitted he had rolled his ankle but did not anticipate even having to check the status of his ankle. He was presumably surprised that it hurt too much to play tonight. Werth has also been dealing this season with a sore left knee,"
Jayson Werth: To walk or not to walk?
June 5
Washington Post
 
"In the top of the third Saturday night, Jayson Werth came to the plate with a runner on third and one out, an excellent chance for the Nationals to score and for Werth to pick up an RBI. Only the Diamondbacks and pitcher Joe Saunders made clear they would not allow that to happen, at least not easily. Saunders threw Werth five pitches – two balls, a strike on the corner on 2-0, and two more balls. Werth drew a walk, letting the inning fall to Michael Morse. He struck out, and Danny Espinosa tapped back to the pitch. The inning ended without the Nationals scoring a run. Surely, some fans blamed that zero on the scoreboard on Werth. Here he is, batting third in the lineup, the big-ticket"
Jayson Werth confident he'll return Saturday
June 4
Washington Post
 
"Right fielder Jayson Werth is out of the lineup tonight after a fastball drilled him in the left elbow Thursday night in the ninth inning. Werth received treatment this afternoon, but the stiffness and swelling in his elbow prevented Manager Jim Riggleman from putting him in the lineup. "It's a little stiff, probably going to need a day," Werth said. "It should be fine. Hopefully, I'll be fine to go tomorrow." Werth will continue to receive treatment from Nationals' athletic trainers during the game and might be available as a pinch-hitter. Whenever he plays next, Werth said, he'll wear a pad to protect his elbow at the plate. He's confident, but not certain, he will return to the lineup"
Jayson Werth's elbow and Michael Morse's hot streak
June 3
Washington Post
 
"Before we get to Michael Morse, who might be the hottest hitter in baseball, there's a quick update on Jayson Werth: In the ninth inning Thursday night, Diamondbacks reliever Aaron Heilman drilled Werth in the elbow with an 89-mph fastball. "When you get hit right there," Manager Jim Riggleman said, "that's a bad spot." Riggleman and an athletic trainer went out to first base to chat with Werth. He stayed in the game, and the inning continued for a few more minutes, allowing the pain to dull. But, Riggleman said, if the half inning had ended immediately, he would removed Werth in the bottom of the ninth. Riggleman is assuming Werth will be okay today, but he will check with him about his"