From Donald Sanger in Falls Church:
Any word yet on Chad Cordero's MRI? Realistically, do you think we'll see him again this season?
Mark Zuckerman:
No word yet, though I'm sure we'll hear something before today's game. Chad and the Nats seemed convinced last night that there was nothing wrong with shoulder, but rather the lat muscle in the back of his shoulder. He was likely trying to compensate for his lack of velocity and in the process hurt another part of his body. Cordero believes he's headed for the DL, and I tend to agree. There's no sense putting him out there in his current state -- the Nats can't afford to waste a bullpen spot on a guy who can't be used in any situation of consequence. Could he miss the rest of the season? Right now, I'll take the optimistic view and believe he'll be back. But would I be surprised if he doesn't return? Not at all.

From Billy T. in Silver Spring:
Have street vendors been banned from the area around Nationals Park? For the years that the Nats were at RFK, you could buy food and souvenirs before and after games that were less expensive than in the ballpark. Is there an agreement between the team and the city banning vending?
Mark Zuckerman:
I don't know of any kind of agreement like that, but I can certainly ask about it.

From Larry in Reston:
How much longer does Manny plan to stick with Chico? He didn't give Bergmann this same kind of rope.
Mark Zuckerman:
It's a fair question. Jason Bergmann got two starts (plus one relief appearance) before he was sent to Columbus. Chico has made six starts, one of which was outstanding, the last three of which were very poor. That said, Acta has put a lot of stock in the fact that Chico made 31 starts last season and pitched pretty well for a rookie who had never been above Class AA. They made a point to develop him at the big-league level last year, so they're not going to abandon that plan now. But if Chico has another bad start Friday against the Pirates, I suspect the calls for his demotion will grow significantly.

From John in D.C.:
You commented in the newspaper this morning about the Nats huge oval-shaped clubhouse. I haven't read anything about the clubhouse for the visiting team. Is it oval too? How does it stack up to visiting clubhouses in other ballparks?
Mark Zuckerman:
The visiting clubhouse is not oval-shaped. It's kind of a big square. But it's very nice as well, with dark cherry wood lockers and plenty of lounging space. Lou Piniella was raving about the setup the other day when the Cubs were in town. He couldn't believe how the manager's office includes an extra lounge area, something I don't believe you can find anywhere else. I would say the entire clubhouse setup at Nationals Park rivals the best in the major leagues.

From GoNats! in Manassas:
If Cordero is out for any length of time, how confident are you in Jon Rauch's ability to close games?
Mark Zuckerman:
Rauch did not get off to a particularly strong start to the season, but I will say that he seems to have gotten better as we've moved along. He's converted five of seven save opportunities, and he actually hasn't surrendered an earned run in a save situation. Maybe he's begun to feel more comfortable in the ninth-inning role now that he's had several chances to hold down the role.

From Kristin in Fairfax:
You mentioned Bergmann a few questions ago. ... How is he doing in AAA and when do you expect him back -- if he makes it back?
Mark Zuckerman:
Funny you should ask. Bergmann had been horrible in his first two outings for Columbus -- he had an ERA over 12.00, I believe. But he made his third start last night and dominated Indianapolis. Eight innings, four hits, one unearned run, lowering his ERA to 5.06. If you had asked me yesterday whether I thought we'd see him up here again soon, I'd have said no. But if he puts together a couple more solid starts like that, I wouldn't be surprised if he earned a promotion back to D.C.

From Ryan in Rockville:
Is it just me or is Lastings Milledge a subpar center fielder? He seems to get bad jumps on balls and last night he should've given way to Kearns on that fly ball.
Mark Zuckerman:
Milledge is, shall we say, a bit raw out there, just as he is in several other facets of his game. He has misread a few balls so far, including the one last night that he was able to compensate for and wind up making a sprawling catch. More troublesome to me is his lack of baseball-smarts in certain cases, like the fly ball he took from Kearns last night. He needs to know that with a runner on second, Kearns has a better angle to make the throw to third and thus should get to make the catch. These are all things the Nats are trying to pound into Milledge's head, but he's obviously got plenty more to learn.

From Mr. Madison in New Carrollton:
Hiya Mark, So...just how short *is* Matt Chico's leash now, with O'Connor a short jog away? Also, I've said it many times before on the message boards, but May cannot come soon enough. Could we possibly be starting to see the end up Zimmerman's annual April Slump? Is it possible to kinda just not let Zimmerman play until May 1st? (said with tongue firmly in cheek).
Mark Zuckerman:
Well as I mentioned earlier, Chico is at least making one more start Friday against the Pirates. If he struggles there, I could see a scenario in which O'Connor slides into the rotation and Chico goes to the bullpen (or Columbus) to work out his issues. ... As for Zimmerman, it's entirely possible he's always going to be one of those guys who struggles in April. He wouldn't be the first. Maybe last night was a sign of better things to come.

OK folks, I've gotta get running to Manny's pregame press conference. Thanks for the questions -- enjoy the late-afternoon special today.