Q: Was John Lannan's promotion to Class AAA Columbus surprising to you? Is it more a function of lack of personnel in front of him, or is it his performance that drove the move? -- Brian, Alexandria

A: No, it was all about Lannan's performance. He succeeded at Class A Potomac. He succeeded at Class AA Harrisburg. And he succeeded in his first start for Columbus, tossing 5 2/3 scoreless innings. This guy may not have been on the radar screen a year ago, but he's quickly become a fast-tracker to the big leagues. If all continues to go well, look for the left-hander to make his Nationals debut by September.

Q: What's going to happen to Nook Logan? Am I right in assuming there's no place for him on the roster now with Brandon Watson and Ryan Langerhans performing better? -- Jason Hankey, Bethesda

A: You are right that Logan appears to be the odd man out once Robert Fick returns this week from his mother's funeral. Watson, while hardly a big-time prospect, deserved to be called up following his 43-game hit streak and has performed well so far.

Langerhans, meanwhile, has improved at the plate and looks like a solid fourth outfielder. Given all that, there doesn't appear to be much reason for Washington to hang on to a light-hitting, poor base-running, former switch-hitter.