The Washington Nationals are in the thick of a crowded playoff race for the first time in their history, entering play Thursday within shouting distance of the NL East lead while forced to fend off six teams within four and a half games of them in the Wild Card standings.
With the calendar about to turn to September, the Nationals and every other team across baseball are about to see their active rosters expand from 25 to 40. Critics complain this creates too many pitching changes and slows games down, but it also presents an opportunity for contenders to give fringe roster players a chance to prove their worth ahead of the postseason.