LaRoche snaps funk with homer: Washington first baseman Adam LaRoche snapped a funk at the plate on Wednesday night in a loss at Philadelphia. Cole Hamels kept the Nationals off the board all game, but LaRoche helped them avoid the shutout by homering off Jonathan Papelbon in the ninth. LaRoche hit his eighth homer of the year with one out and nobody on base. LaRoche went 1 for 4 in the game and is batting .297 on the season. (Updated 05/23/2012)
Injury Report
No information available at this time (Updated 5/25/12).
Fantasy Analysis
LaRoche went 3 for 4 with a homer and four RBI on May 16 against Pittsburgh. He'd gone just 1 for 20 since until Wednesday's game, and is still just two for his last 24 for the Nationals. Still, hopefully the home run gets his bat going again as he was sizzling earlier in the year. LaRoche has eight homers and 33 RBI already on the year and should remain active in most mixed Fantasy leagues right now. (Updated 05/23/2012).
05/23/2012 23:22 Hamels (7-1) stops Nats; Phils end skid
Cole Hamels pitched eight scoreless innings, finishing up by retiring Bryce Harper on a grounder as the Philadelphia Phillies snapped a season-long four-game losing streak Wednesday night with a 3-1 victory against the Washington Nationals.
05/22/2012 21:55 Nats move into first place in NL East
Jordan Zimmerman pitched six solid innings, and Ian Desmond and Rick Ankiel homered to lead the Washington Nationals to a 5-2 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday night.
05/20/2012 19:47 Hit Parade for Week 8
Some catchers have been bitten by the injury bug in recent days, leaving some owners scrambling. Our Scott White shares some recommendations and helps set your lineups for Week 8 in his Hit Parade.
05/19/2012 22:37 Jones, Markakis lead O's to fifth straight
Adam Jones and Nick Markakis hit two-run homers and the Baltimore Orioles matched a season high with their fifth straight win, 6-5 over the Washington Nationals on Saturday night.
05/17/2012 16:11 LaRoche is getting a lot of attention
Washington first baseman Adam LaRoche is one of the most viewed players on CBSSports.com. The Fantasy Baseball 360 crew has more.
Adam LaRoche hit .172 in 151 at-bats last year, which will immediately turn some Fantasy owners off to him. But the reason he hit only .172 is likely the same reason he had only 151 at-bats. His season ended in late May due to a shoulder injury that eventually required surgery. And it's not like he just injured the shoulder the day before. He knew before the season that he had a torn rotator cuff and labrum, but he opted to play through it. Clearly, that didn't go so well, which was why he decided to pull the plug on his season, but for Fantasy purposes, the damage was done. He didn't live up to the investment that his owners had made in him, and now he's not a player they want. But keep in mind he had seven straight seasons of 20-plus homers prior to last year. That may not be a notable achievement among first basemen, but in leagues that use corner infield and utility spots, it's reason to keep LaRoche on your radar. Granted, he's no guarantee to return to that standard after shoulder surgery, but early reports are good. You can probably pass him over in standard leagues, but you wouldn't want to dismiss his power potential in deeper formats. (Updated 1/27/12)
Actual 
AccuScore Projections) Note: Points are rounded down.
