Morse Looks to Jump Start Sputtering Nationals Offense

Michael Morse is back in the Nationals' lineup for the first time this season. (Reuters)

The Washington Nationals have been in first place in the NL East for the majority of the season so far. However, their division lead has begun to slip away. In fact, the last place Philadelphia Phillies are only 2 1/2 games out of first place.

The reason behind their recent slide and the vast majority of their losses has been a sputtering offense. They currently rank 15th in the majors with 47 home runs and 26th in RBIs with only 185. Last season, Michael Morse led the Nationals in both those categories, by a considerable margin I might add.

With the obvious offensive struggles, you must be wondering how the Nationals are in first place. It has clearly been the pitching that has carried this club. Across MLB, the Nationals rank first in team ERA (3.01), second in strikeouts (427), third in wins (29), and fifth in saves (17). Young phenom Stephen Strasburg has been as good as advertised. Gio Gonzalez is 7-1 with a 2.04 ERA. He is one of the early front-runners for Cy Young in the NL. Pitching across the board has been quite impressive for a Nationals team that has needed it to be.

The man that has been missing from this equation the entire season is Michael Morse. Morse has been out with a strained lat muscle since Spring Training. The Nationals had hoped to get him back sooner, but he suffered a setback in rehab. They were quite happy when they were finally able to activate him today from the disabled list. Morse's return significantly helps a Nationals' lineup decimated by injuries. They have already lost Jayson Werth for upwards of 12 weeks with a broken left wrist. Catcher Wilson Ramos suffered a season-ending ACL tear. Despite a trip to the disabled list earlier this season, third baseman Ryan Zimmerman has yet to find his stride offensively.

With the Nationals' lineup suffering, they need a spark to get it going. That is exactly what Morse hopes to provide batting cleanup. The Nationals have found some pieces. Bryce Harper, another young phenom, has shown promise. Another youngster, Stephen Lombardozzi, has done quite well batting lead off (hitting .365 left-handed). Veteran Adam LaRoche has carried his share of the load. I believe the Nationals have the batters they need. They just need someone to provide the power in the middle of the lineup. Michael Morse hopes to fulfill that role. If Morse is able to get the offense going, you better watch out for the Nationals.