Wire Taps: Trea Turner nears cycle; Trevor Rosenthal returns; Could Howie Kendrick go to All-Star Game?

Last night was just about everything that these Nationals could have hoped for: it was a low-stress, high-scoring, solid win. They’re starting to feel more familiar, which is nice, though prepare for the bottom to fall out at any moment.

Here’s the scoop from the South Side:

Trea Turner sparks an offensive outburst as the Nationals rout the White Sox (WaPo)
It's looking like Trea Turner is at full strength; he's hitting .352 over the last 12 games, and since his return, the team has looked better all around — though Matt Adams went down with an oblique strain that will sideline him for at least a day or two.

Trea Turner flirts with cycle in win (MLB.com)
Turner got a triple in the third, a homer in the fifth, and a double in the seventh — which is more emblematic of how he can serve as a spark plug for this lineup, given that they were able to tack on twelve runs last night.

Sánchez cruises again, Nats bats explode in 12-1 win (MASN)
Aníbal Sánchez looked like a mistake at the beginning of this season. He was behind in the count and allowing runs constantly — but having returned from the DL, he's found what he seemingly left behind in Atlanta, pitching to a 1.04 ERA in his three starts since coming off the IL.

Nationals-White Sox game sees another fan injured by foul ball (NBCSW)
Eloy Jimenez hit a fan last night, though she was able to walk out under her own power.

Trevor Rosenthal works scoreless ninth in return to Nationals (NBCSW)
In his one inning back, Rosenthal allowed one walk — and that was all, as he got a double play and sat down the White Sox in the ninth.

Trevor Rosenthal spent four weeks in the minors, trying to get right. He thinks he’s close. (WaPo)
The Nats need Trevor Rosenthal to figure it out — and in Harrisburg, he feels like he got to slow things down, command his fastball, and put max effort into an efficient windup.

Howie Kendrick isn’t a full-time starter, but his numbers merit all-star talk (WaPo)
On Sunday, Anthony Rendon made an interesting point: Howie Kendrick, even though he doesn't qualify to be a starter, deserves to be named an All-Star after a stellar start to the year. Hypothetically, it could happen if he gets in as a reserve, which may happen given his great numbers with runners in scoring position and during just about all other times as well.

The 30: Bottom-dwellers find gems (or trade fodder), all that and Laureano can hit, and a season of bests for the Twins (The Athletic)
The Nats are *this* close to cracking the top twenty, *this* close.

Martinez on picking DH, using Rosenthal again (MASN)
The Nationals will get to use all three of their hot infielders—Kendrick, Dozier, and Adams—in this series against Chicago thanks to the DH.