Nationals claim shortstop Cesar Izturis off waivers

The Washington Nationals today claimed shortstop Cesar Izturis off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers. The club also placed infielder/outfielder Mark DeRosa on the 15-Day Disabled List, retroactive to August 5, with a left abdominal strain and designated left-handed pitcher Atahualpa Severino for assignment.  Nationals Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcements.

The 32 year-old Izturis is a career .255 (1074-for-4217) hitter with 168 doubles, 34 triples, 17 homers, 301 RBI and 110 stolen bases in 1242 games spanning 12 big league seasons. Izturis is batting .235 in 57 games this year for Milwaukee, but in his last 16 games, he is hitting .298 with four doubles, a triple, a home run and three RBI.   

A highly-regarded defender, Izturis won a NL Gold Glove in 2004 and his .851 career zone rating ranks second among active shortstops behind only Omar Vizquel (.863). As recently as 2009, he led all MLB shortstops in range factor per 9.0 innings at 4.89. One year later, with the Orioles, his .985 fielding percentage ranked second in the American League among shortstops.

Izturis was a 2004 National League All-Star and sports post-season experience gained with the Dodgers later that same season.

DeRosa, 37, is batting .152 with four doubles, six RBI, 13 walks and 10 strikeouts in 34 games for the Nationals in 2012.

Severino, 27, has posted a 2.72 ERA in 40 appearances this season with Syracuse of the Triple-A International League.