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Washington Nationals

Alfonso Soriano

7/31/2006

Soriano's up-and-down tenure with the Nationals will last at least until the end of this season, with the team deciding Monday to hold on to the slugger instead of dealing him at baseball's trade deadline. The five-time All-Star was thought to be the most prized player available on the market, but the Nationals decided to keep him rather than swapping him for prospects.

7/23/2006

Soriano says he wants to stay with the Nationals, but he doubts he'll reach an agreement on a new contract before the July 31 trade deadline. The five-time All-Star is slated to become a free agent at season's end, and the Nationals figure to be able to get top prospects in return if they deal him.

7/4/2006

Soriano homered twice and drove in four runs in the Nationals' 9-1 win over the Florida Marlins on Monday.

7/3/2006

Soriano was selected to his fifth All-Star team Sunday and will start in the outfield for the National League. He is hitting .263 with 24 homers and 51 RBIs this season.

4/22/2006

Soriano hit three homers for the first time and matched his career high with five RBIs in the Nationals' 7-3 win over the Atlanta Braves on Friday. He hit leadoff homers off John Smoltz in the first and third innings to become only the fifth player -- and first since 1999 -- to hit two homers off the Atlanta hurler in a game. In the eighth, Soriano added a three-run shot off Oscar Villarreal.

4/6/2006

Soriano found himself on the Washington bench Wednesday after failing to run out an infield popup in the sixth inning, which was caught in fair territory by Mets catcher Paul LoDuca. Soriano hardly had left the batter box, so Nationals manager Frank Robinson sat him down. "That's the rule around here," Robinson said. "They've all been told. It's been said more than one time."

3/22/2006

Soriano is in left field for the Washington Nationals Wednesday afternoon. The former Texas Ranger started in his new position two days after refusing to move from second base. He caught a routine flyball by Albert Pujols and doubled off David Eckstein at second early in his first game as an outfielder.

3/21/2006

Now that the World Baseball Classic is over, the issue of whether Soriano will play in left field for the Washington Nationals will become front and center in the Senators' clubhouse. It didn't take long to have the matter become a major issue, as Soriano refused to play in left Monday night in Washington's exhibition game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

2/10/2006

Soriano lost to the Washington Nationals in salary arbitration Friday and will receive $10 million instead of his requested $12 million. The All-Star second baseman set a record for the highest salary awarded in arbitration, topping the $8.2 million Atlanta Braves' center fielder Andruw Jones earned in 2001. Soriano is eligible for free agency after this coming season.

12/20/2005

Soriano is still refusing to move from second base to the outfield with his new team, the Washington Nationals. "I don't want to change," he said Monday. "If I haven't done it before, I won't do it now." He added that he has a greater comfort level in the American League and plans to become a free agent after next season and sign with an AL team.

12/8/2005

Soriano was traded to the Washington Nationals in exchange for outfielders Brad Wilkerson and Terrmel Sledge on Wednesday. The second baseman hit .268. with 36 home runs, 104 RBI, and 30 stolen bases in 156 games for the Rangers in 2005.

8/22/2005

The Minnesota Twins have reportedly claimed Soriano off waivers in order to block an impending trade to another ball club.

8/15/2005

When the Texas Rangers open a series in Cleveland Tuesday, Soriano will have a 14-game hitting streak on the line. The Rangers' second baseman is 20-for-57 (.351) with three doubles, three homers, 14 RBI and 11 runs scored during his 14-game run.

7/11/2005

Soriano returned to Panama to be with his wife for the birth of the couple's second child and missed Sunday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays as a result. The second baseman, who was replaced in the Rangers' lineup by Mark DeRosa, is expected to travel to Detroit in time for Tuesday's All-Star game. He'll also rejoin the Rangers after the break.

6/14/2005

In his best game since missing a few days last week with a mild hamstring strain, Soriano powered two homers and drove in four runs to spark Texas to a 7-3 win over Atlanta Monday. The Rangers' second baseman homered twice off Atlanta righthander Tim Hudson.

6/13/2005

After missing a few days with a mild hamstring strain, Soriano returned to the Texas lineup for games Saturday and Sunday against Florida. The Rangers' second baseman went 2-for-6 and scored three runs over the weekend.

6/11/2005

Soriano, who has been out of the Rangers' starting lineup the last four games with a hamstring strain, is very close to returning, according to Texas manager Buck Showalter.

6/8/2005

After leaving Sunday's game with a mild hamstring strain, Soriano was not in the Texas Rangers' lineup on Tuesday. While he did single as a pinch-hitter Tuesday night before leaving for a pinch-runner, the Rangers' second baseman probably will not be in the lineup for the rest of series against the Philadelphia Phillies. He may get his some pinch-hitting at-bats this week before returning to regular duty.

6/7/2005

Soriano's left hamstring showed improvement on Monday, and there's a chance the Rangers' second baseman will able to play against Philadelphia on Tuesday. He will test out the hammy earlier in the day before a decision is made.

6/6/2005

Soriano left in the seventh inning of Texas' 8-1 win over Kansas City Sunday, bothered by a slight hamstring strain. It's the same lefty hammy that sidelined the Rangers' second baseman for the final two weeks of last season -- and bothered him into spring training -- but Texas trainer Jamie Reed said it's a completely different injury and shouldn't put Soriano on the shelf for more than a few days. Soriano is day-to-day.

5/9/2005

For the first time in the last four days, Soriano didn't homer for the Texas Rangers on Sunday. Still, the second baseman was 1-for-2 with a pair of walks in the Rangers' 7-2 win over Cleveland.

Soriano's hit on Sunday gave him a five-game hitting streak in which he is 11-for-20 (.550) with two doubles, five homers and 13 RBI. His slugging percentage is a staggering 1.400 over his five-game run. And the Rangers have won four of those five games.

5/8/2005

Soriano hit a pair of homers for the second straight game on Saturday in a win over the Indians, giving the Texas second baseman 10 longballs on the season. Five of those round-trippers have come in the past three games, a stretch that has seen Soriano go 9-for-16 with seven runs and 10 RBI.

Soriano now has nine multi-homer games in his big league career.

4/19/2005

Soriano was held out of the Rangers lineup on Tuesday due to a bruised left knee. Although Soriano was unhappy about sitting out, and felt he could have played, manager Buck Showalter felt that the day off would help get the swelling out of the knee. Reserve infielder, Mark DeRosa took Soriano's place in the starting lineup.

Soriano is likely to be back in the lineup on Wednesday at Tampa Bay.