The Washington Nationals must have knocked over a barrel of salt on a herd of black cats or something to that effect, because this team that should be losing maybe once every sixth game has been cursed by injuries, and a presence at the trade deadline has gone from a luxury to an unequivocal necessity.
The only National League team with more players on the disabled list than Washington is, mercifully, the division-rival New York Mets. Both teams are limping stride-for-stride atop the NL East, but some calculated additions to a decimated bullpen and more options off the bench could help the Nationals put a couple of furlongs between themselves and the Mets in the race for the division.