Notes: Guillen takes batting practice

03/15/2006
VIERA, Fla. -- Jose Guillen took live batting practice with his teammates on Wednesday for the first time since having his left wrist examined two weeks ago. The Nationals outfielder took 40 swings and didn't feel any pain.
Guillen is planning to take another 40 swings on Thursday morning. If Guillen continues to feel good, he will play his first Spring Training game on Monday against Dodgers at Space Coast Stadium. Guillen said he will get two or three at-bats, play the outfield and try not to take any days off.
"If there was pain, I would have stopped because I have to be smart," Guillen said.
Guillen had missed 10 days because of fluid and inflammation in his left wrist. Before that injury, he was recovering from offseason left shoulder surgery, and Guillen said the shoulder is close to 100 percent.
The game plan: With right-hander Tony Armas Jr. back from the World Baseball Classic due to Venezuela's elimination on Tuesday, pitching coach Randy St. Claire said on Wednesday that Armas has to start throwing on the mound right away, so he can be ready for Opening Day. Armas threw only 18 pitches in the Classic, a fact that has St. Claire concerned.
Armas most likely will pitch in an intrasquad Minor League game sometime this week. Armas will throw no more than 45 pitches and then pitch another Minor League game on four days' rest.
"I don't like going on four days' [rest], but (time is running out in Spring Training)," St. Claire said.
St. Claire said he is not concerned about relievers Chad Cordero and Gary Majewski, because they have pitched frequently for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. However, reliever Luis Ayala most likely will have to be rushed because he has pitched just one-third of an inning for Mexico in the Classic.
Asked why Ayala hasn't pitched that much in the World Baseball Classic, St. Claire said, "[Mexico] is trying to win and they are using their guys as they see fit to win."
St. Claire said the World Baseball Classic did bring one positive thing to the Nationals this spring: The absence of several members of the pitching staff allowed the team to see hurlers such as Steve Watkins, Saul Rivera and Billy Traber. All three have been outstanding.
"Normally, they would see one inning or two innings during Spring Training, but they got eight, nine, 10 innings of work," St. Claire said.
That's better: Right-hander Jon Rauch had his best outing of the spring, giving up one run in five innings against the Mets. He struck out six batters and walked one. The outing was the antithesis of his previous start last Friday, in which ran out of gas and gave up five runs on five hits in 3 1/3 innings against the Astros.
In the Astros game, Rauch said he mentally wore himself out. He was thinking too much about his mechanics on the mound. But in Wednesday's game, he thought about getting hitters out.
"I changed my outlook, prepared myself for the game," Rauch said. "At the same time, I ironed out some more mechanical issues. Everything seemed to click today."
He's back: Joey Eischen pitched in his first spring game of the season on Wednesday, pitching one shutout inning against the Mets. He has missed most of the spring because of left shoulder tendinitis.
"I felt a lot better than I expected," Eischen said. "I threw a lot of strikes. I thought I would be a little more wild and try to do too much. I'm probably about 75 percent, maybe 80 percent. I still have some of that tendinitis in my shoulder, but I can go out and pitch like I'm feeling now."
Around the horn: Potential owner Stan Kasten was at Wednesday's game against the Mets. He declined to talk about his possible involvement with the Nationals. ... Nick Johnson still hasn't played a game this week because of a stomach virus. Ryan Church and Ryan Zimmerman caught the same virus and did not play on Wednesday against the Mets. ... Tyrell Godwin went 2-for-3 with home run against the Mets. ... Daryle Ward is hitting .233 this spring. ... Right-hander Ryan Drese threw live batting practice on Tuesday, firing 30 pitches without pain.

Source: http://washington.nationals.mlb.com/