Nationals rumors: Washington seeking rotation upgrades

Entering the season, the Washington Nationals wouldn’t have been a team many would expect to be seeking rotation upgrades over the summer. Washington’s rotation is built around young arms such as Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Ross Detwiler and Jordan Zimmermann, and the team added veteran and former ace Dan Haren over the winter. Haren has struggled with injury and inconsistency, and as a result Buster Olney of ESPN says the Nationals are looking to bolster their starting pitching depth. Rival evaluators continue to say the Nationals are looking to bolster their starting pitching depth... — Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) July 6, 2013 Prior to hitting the disabled list with inflammation in his throwing shoulder, Haren struggled over his first 15 starts with the Nationals. The right-hander posted an ugly ERA and WHIP of 6.15 and 1.439 over 82 innings pitched. He’s since been replaced in Washington’s starting rotation by 24-year-old rookie Taylor Jordan. The right-hander has been effective over his first two starts – allowing three earned runs over 10 innings – but the Nationals may not be comfortable relying on his unproven arm for the remainder of the season. If they are also wary of Haren’s abilities following his rough start, Washington could pursue a starter on the trade market. Follow @mlbinjurynews Looking for fantasy baseball advice?