Baseball

Duke struck out one and didn't walk a batter. His most impressive feat of the evening was logging one of the three hits off Giants starter Ryan Vogelsong. Duke, making his first start of the season as a fill-in for Ross Detwiler (lower back), didn't acquit himself well. Though he kept the ball in the strike zone and only allowed one extra-base hit, San Francisco was fooled by none of the offered slop. Duke will presumably now return to the bullpen, though his 8.84 ERA and 1.80 WHIP may not be long for Washington's roster.

Nationals manager Davey Johnson said he received an "alarming" report on Werth Monday, which obviously doesn't sound good. The outfielder experienced a setback with his hamstring during a rehab game last week and has yet to return to game action. He was slated to see a specialist over the weekend and evidently didn't receive good news. Roger Bernadina and Tyler Moore will continue to be the primary fill-ins for Werth.

Harper sat out Saturday and Sunday due to soreness in his left knee caused by last week's collision with the outfield wall. He's probably still a little sore but is feeling well enough to give it a go.

Karns didn't make it out of the first inning in his previous outing, so it was a much needed return to form. If Ross Detwiler is placed on the disabled list, Karns could become an option for the Nationals. He currently owns a 4.38 ERA and 46 strikeouts over 39 innings (eight starts) at the Double-A level.

Haren suffered an ankle injury during his last start and may not be completely healthy. He allowed three runs in the first inning and gave up a pair of home runs to Will Venable and Kyle Blanks. Haren is in position to bounce back with a matchup against the Phillies next week.

Harper is still feeling banged up from last week's collision with the Dodger Stadium outfield wall. It's his left knee that has been bothering him most. He'll try to return to the Nationals' starting lineup on Monday.

It's a planned day off for Desmond. Danny Espinosa is covering shortstop Sunday, while Steve Lombardozzi is at second.