Good news for Bob Carpenter fans: The broadcaster will back with the Nationals in 2008 after all. MASN just sent out a press release announcing Carpenter has signed a one-year contract to return for his third season as the lead play-by-play man on game telecasts (though it should be pointed out that the Nats themselves really made this call).

What a strange couple of months it's been for Bob. As I wrote in late September, he was informed by Stan Kasten that the club would be looking elsewhere for an announcer and that his contract would not be renewed. Bob spent the last week of the season saying goodbye to everyone in sight, unsure what his future plans were, but certain they wouldn't involve the Nats. Here, then, is what transpired between now and then ...

First off, the Nats looked into hiring a couple other announcers, including ESPN's Dan Shulman, but quickly realized none of those options were viable. All the while, scores of fans wrote and called the team to voice support for Carpenter and criticize the decision to let him go. So Kasten informed Bob there may be an offer forthcoming after all. That deal was finalized today, hence the press release. Pretty bizarre, when you think about it.

I just gave Carpenter a call and happened to catch him in the middle of what he termed "the worst round of golf in my life." "Yeah, but at least you've got a job now," I countered, to which he laughed. I'll be talking to him later this afternoon and we'll have a full story in tomorrow's paper.

In the meantime, here's an update on Ryan Zimmerman: He had his left wrist surgery late Wednesday at Sibley Memorial Hospital, with Dr. Richard Barth removing the fractured hook of the hamate bone out of his hand. (Standard procedure for these type of injuries -- the wrist functions fine without the hamate bone.) Zimmerman will be in a splint for a week. He should be able to commence with light rehab as soon as the splint is removed, and he is expected to fully recover in four to six weeks.