Lastings Milledge News & Rumors: Pro Sports Daily

December 3

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

"A couple of weeks ago, the Jason Bay trade pretty much went belly-up when Andy LaRoche was cut loose. Of the four players the Pirates got in that swap, only Bryan Morris seems to have any chance at helping the club in the future. Last night, the deals that sent Adam LaRoche to Boston and Nyjer Morgan to Washington also lost some of their luster. Argenis Diaz (who came from the BoSox) and Lastings Milledge (from the Nats) were non-tendered and became free agents. Neither made much impact in Pittsburgh and neither is likely to be re-signed by the Pirates. Milledge, 25, began 2010 as the Opening Day starter in left field. He was shifted to right after Jose Tabata was called up, then was"

Milledge may still play this season

September 28

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

"Outfielder Lastings Milledge (strained oblique) has been taking swings in the batting cage, and still might get in a game this season. "The next step is to get him out there for batting practice," manager John Russell said. "If we can get it to that point, there could be a possibility he could play before the season's over." ? Right-hander Jeff Karstens (shoulder) said his bullpen session Monday went well. "It was amazing," Karstens said with a smile. He expects to be available out of the bullpen either Wednesday or Thursday. ? There is a small chance righty Ross Ohlendorf (upper back) will pitch in Instructional League as part of his offseason throwing routine. "We've got to see how he"

Milledge out for season, faces uncertain future

September 19

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

"A strained left oblique muscle will keep Pirates right fielder Lastings Milledge out for the rest of this season. Will he still be in the team's long-term plans when he returns next year? "I'm not sure," Milledge said Saturday. "I've done an excellent job here in Pittsburgh. Is it good enough? I don't know. "I've turned my whole career around, and I thank (the Pirates) for giving me an opportunity to do that. I'm happy here. But in the end, I want to be an everyday starter. I want to be a guy they look at and say, 'This guy is going to do anything to win the game.' That's what I want." Milledge hasn't played since appearing as a pinch-hitter Monday against the New York Mets. The next day,"

Milledge not complaining

August 24

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Lastings Milledge did not complain when the Pirates platooned him in right field with a sub-.200 average Ryan Church, and he is not about to complain now that he is starting twice in every handful of games. "No, I'm not complaining," Milledge said Monday. "It's not personal. I know JR loves the way I play, I know Neal loves the way I play." That would be manager John Russell and general manager Neal Huntington. "It's just sometimes certain situations things don't work out for the time being. I just feel like, when I get my opportunity, I'm going to make the best of it, whether it's two times a week or three times a week. When I get in there I need to make up for lost time. That's the"

Milledge out of lineup again

August 22

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"Remember the fuss when the Pirates had Lastings Milledge platooning in right field with struggling Ryan Church? He is playing even less now. For the fifth time in six games Saturday, Milledge, the team's 25-year-old possible corner outfielder into the future, was on the bench. Ryan Doumit was in right for the fourth time in that span. Garrett Jones was in right for the other occasion. Manager John Russell was asked if Milledge is healthy. "Yes," he replied. So, this is because Doumit is swinging well? "Yeah, Ryan's swinging the bat pretty well." Doumit had homered twice in the previous three games, and he also hit a monster ball just foul Friday night, clanging off the Pirates Charities"

It's over: Milledge, McCutchen end streak at 12

June 20

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"With Lastings Milledge's four RBIs, Andrew McCutchen reaching base all five times up, Pedro Alvarez's first career hit and an overall fist-clenching show of emotion, it finally came to an end. The losing streak, at 12 games. The long faces. The lingering feeling that everything would go wrong. And, if the Pirates have their way, their 6-4 victory against the Cleveland Indians Saturday night before an overflow crowd of 38,008 at PNC Park, a dynamite game all-around, will represent not only an end but also a desperately needed fresh start. "It's been a hard month," manager John Russell said. "But you do have to find bottom somewhere, and you move on, you keep going forward. We have a lot of"

Milledge's catch preserves Pirates victory

June 6

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

"Lastings Milledge picked up the tab for Octavio Dotel. Trying to protect the Pirates' four-run lead in the ninth inning Saturday, Dotel created a mess. The San Francisco Giants scored a run and had the bases loaded with two outs. Freddy Sanchez ripped a liner to deep left field. "I looked back and saw Milledge running," Dotel said. "I thought, 'Whoa, I hope he gets it.' The way he was running, I knew he had a chance." Milledge mentally measured the ball's flight, and wondered if he'd run out of room to make the catch. The outfield wall loomed closer ... closer ... "I was like, maybe I can play it off the wall," Milledge said. "But I saw I had enough room to dive and make an attempt. So I"

Milledge: Pressure at bats require next level

April 25

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

"After the way the Pirates' recent homestand ended, it's easy to forget how it started ? a sweep of the Cincinnati Reds highlighted by back-to-back dramatic, walk-off wins. Lastings Milledge, who's nestled into the No. 3 spot in the batting order, was a big part of both of those. In the first game of the series, he singled in the winning run on the seventh pitch he faced, after falling behind in the count, 1-2. Then, the next night, with two outs and the bases loaded, he kept his patience and allowed Francisco Cordero to walk in the tying run. "It's another level you go to in a pressure situation, definitely," Milledge said of the approach when the game is on the line in the ninth inning."

Mill edge, Jones produce with patience

April 18

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

"Outstanding at-bats by Lastings Milledge and Garrett Jones produced a walk and a single in the ninth inning tonight. That boosted the Pirates past the Reds, 5-4, for their second straight walk-off victory. With the bases loaded and two outs, Milledge faced closer Francisco Cordero, owner of 254 career saves. When the count went full, Milledge stepped out to collect his thoughts. "I told myself, 'He's got to come to me. He's in trouble. I'm not in trouble,' " Milledge said. "I was looking for a ball right down the middle. If it wasn't there, I wasn't going to swing. He didn't give it to me." The bases-loaded walk forced in Church to make it 4-4. Jones, hitless in his first three at-bats,"

Middle of the order 'interchangeable'

April 11

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

"Manager John Russell tweaked the middle of the lineup, putting Lastings Milledge into the No. 3 position and dropping Garrett Jones and Ryan Doumit each down one spot. "The middle is kind of interchangeable," Russell said. Milledge, who has the ability to hit to all fields, has done well hitting behind runners and with situational hitting. Russell hopes to create more scoring opportunities by putting Milledge after table-setters Aki Iwamura and Andrew McCutchen. The move could pay off for Doumit, who is a bit of a square peg in the round hole of the cleanup spot. He profiles better as a No. 5 hitter, but the power-starved Pirates often have no choice but to put him in the No. 4 spot. "In"

Milledge's maturity shows

March 16

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"There is talking about maturity, and there is showing it. Lastings Milledge has spoken of wanting to show he has "grown up," to use his term from this winter, and he might have illustrated that best with one sweet, scientific swing of the bat Monday in the Pirates' 5-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies at McKechnie Field ... It was the second inning, and Ryan Doumit had just doubled off Philadelphia ace Roy Halladay. As hitting coach Don Long lays it out, "You've got a runner at second, a good pitcher on the mound, and runs are at a premium. At that point, what you want is to hit the ball anywhere from the point where the runner takes his secondary lead, all the way over to the first-base"

Maturity, discipline put Milledge on right path

March 7

Pittsburgh Tribune Review

"A lot of kids say they want to be a major-league player when they grow up, but Lastings Milledge did more than dream. He planned for it. That's why Milledge seems so unfazed about being the Pirates' starting left fielder and possibly one of the cornerstones of the franchise's future. It's something he's been working toward and always expected to happen. "When I was 14, I knew I wanted to do this for a living," Milledge said the other day, unwinding at his locker after a workout at Pirate City. "I always stayed focused on becoming a professional. I didn't let outside things mess with me too much or put pressure on me. I was focused on getting to the major leagues." Milledge, 25, grew up in"

Milledge has his moment in Pirates' 4-0 loss

September 21

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"It was yet another forgettable outcome for the freefalling Pirates, this flat-line 4-0 loss to the San Diego Padres yesterday at PNC Park. The offense was blanked for the 15th time, most since the same total in 2002. Paul Maholm was, to use his own term, "bad." And catcher Ryan Doumit made two throwing errors that led to runs. Still, ask most of the 24,028 in attendance what will resonate well beyond another hollow September loss in a meeting of last-place teams, and it surely will be the breathtaking catch Lastings Milledge made that, without a doubt, represented his welcome-to-Pittsburgh moment. With two aboard, two outs and San Diego ahead, 3-0, in the sixth, David Eckstein drove a ball"

Milledge Breaks Finger

May 12

Washington Post

"A year of regression for Lastings Milledge first turned the outfielder from a major leaguer into a minor leaguer and, now, into an injured minor leaguer. Monday, Milledge broke his right ring finger while attempting a bunt in the first inning of a game for Class AAA Syracuse; a hand specialist will examine him today in Baltimore. Best-case scenario, he will miss several weeks. And the chance of any imminent return to Washington -- where he began the year as the starting center fielder and leadoff hitter -- dwindled from unlikely to impossible. "It takes away at-bats, and at the early stage of his career, whenever you miss a chunk of at-bats it retards your progress a little bit," acting"

Milledge Suffers Broken Finger in Syracuse

May 11

Washington Post

"Outfielder Lastings Milledge of Class AAA Syracuse suffered a broken finger while attempting to bunt in the first inning of the Chiefs' game today, the latest setback in the career of the talented but inconsistent player who opened the season as the Nationals' everyday center fielder and leadoff man. Milledge, 24, broke the ring finger of his right hand, according to Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo, who is in San Francisco with the big league team but received a phone call about the injury. Rizzo said it was too soon to speculate about Milledge's prognosis, or whether the injury would even require a trip to the disabled list. "I need to talk to the doctor and see where he's at," Rizzo"

Milledge Suffers Broken Finger in Syracuse

May 11

Washington Post

"Outfielder Lastings Milledge of Class AAA Syracuse suffered a broken finger while attempting to bunt in the first inning of the Chiefs' game today, the latest setback in the career of the talented but inconsistent player who opened the season as the Nationals' everyday center fielder and leadoff man. Milledge, 24, broke the ring finger of his right hand, according to Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo, who is in San Francisco with the big league team but received a phone call about the injury. Rizzo said it was too soon to speculate about Milledge's prognosis, or whether the injury would even require a trip to the disabled list. "I need to talk to the doctor and see where he's at," Rizzo"

Milledge Struggling In Both of His Roles

April 8

Washington Post

"The tally for Lastings Milledge didn't get any better a day later: another 0 for 4, another deep ball he couldn't run down. Still trying to master the art of covering center field, Milledge also has struggled mightily as the Washington Nationals' newly minted leadoff man. In the Nationals' first two losses, Milledge has achieved little other than frustration. "I'm supposed to be the guy who gets things started," Milledge said after Tuesday's 8-3 loss to the Florida Marlins at Dolphin Stadium. "It's not happening now." Milledge's performance has perplexed Nationals outfield instructor Marquis Grissom, a four-time Gold Glove outfielder who also was among the game's best leadoff men during"

Some Thoughts On (And From) Lastings Milledge

March 16

Washington Post

"You can read the paper version of my Milledge-Dukes story here. The DMTP stuff on this one -- especially w/r/t to Milledge -- is expansive, so maybe that's a timely fit for all the Milledge-related debate we've seen here in the last day(s). Hopefully this will serve as a measured look of where he stands, of his shortcomings, of how others view him. The questions with Milledge generally seem to be: Does he work hard enough to fulfill his potential? And, does he approach the game the right way? (There is a difference. The second has as much to do with body language/demeanor, etc. as it does with time spent in the video room or the cages.) I think it's easier to make a good defense for"

Milledge May Be Placed in Corner for '09

September 20

Washington Post

"As a center fielder, Lastings Milledge is still experimenting with the variables, searching for whatever works. "Do I play shallow, deep?" he said yesterday, just giving an example. "I'm trying to figure out what I'm most comfortable with." While Milledge, 23, continues his adaptation to the new position -- he played primarily in left and right field while with the Mets in 2006 and 2007 -- the Washington Nationals' front office has its own, corresponding questions about what works. To the point, is the team comfortable with Milledge as its starting center fielder in 2009? Yesterday, speaking at a lunchtime question-and-answer session with fans at ESPN Zone downtown, General Manager Jim"

Milledge Trade Looking Good In Hindsight

August 14

Washington Post

"The offseason trade that brought center fielder Lastings Milledge to the Washington Nationals and sent outfielder Ryan Church and catcher Brian Schneider to the New York Mets will take a few years to properly assess, considering Milledge is 23 years old and still developing. The Nationals, however, already are witnessing dividends. Entering last night's game against his former team, Milledge was carrying a 13-game hitting streak. Catcher Jesús Flores, who has assumed Schneider's starting role, has been perhaps the brightest story in a sour year for the Nationals. "You guys were judging Milledge in May, and I bet it's different than the way you're judging him today," General Manager Jim"

Milledge looks for positive finish

July 26

Washington Times

"He was acquired in a trade last December that came to epitomize the Washington Nationals' attempts to build with talented, young players. And at times, Lastings Milledge hasn't disappointed. The 23-year-old outfielder has flashed glimpses of his pure ability. But those moments have come sparingly over the last four months, interspersed between periods of slumps, inconsistencies and injuries. Which is why Milledge considers the next 60 games vital to his long-term standing within the organization that touts him as a centerpiece for years to come. "It's real important," Milledge said Friday as he prepared to return from a monthlong stint on the disabled list. "I haven't been playing as well"

Milledge's Return Could Be a Boost

July 26

Washington Post

"The value of Lastings Milledge's return from the disabled list Friday could be measured by his spot in the lineup, his spot in the outfield or his spot in the future. After missing 20 games with a groin injury, Milledge rejoined the Washington Nationals for Friday's game and immediately helped on several fronts: The team received a No. 6 hitter and regained its center fielder, somebody who started that position in 79 of Washington's first 82 games. But more than stabilizing Washington's present, Milledge's health -- he returned right on target, after missing four weeks -- helps his development. The 23-year-old's growth in the month before his injury was so substantial that expectations for"

Milledge Hurt in Nats' Loss To Orioles

June 29

Washington Post

"One player's injury explained the other player's promotion. Milledge left yesterday's game, an eventual 9-1 Washington Nationals loss to Baltimore, with a right groin injury suffered while running after a Baltimore hit into the left-center gap. Mid-game, the Nationals had already made the transaction: Milledge, expected to miss two to four weeks, was headed to the disabled list. Bernadina, batting .325 with an Eastern League-leading 26 stolen bases, was on his way to town."