Werth

WASHINGTON - As far as Washington debuts go for tall, bearded guys from Springfield, Ill., Jayson Werth's initial game as a National probably didn't compare with Lincoln's first inaugural address. Still, on an opening day that was gray and - even by Werth's strutting, sunglassed standards - extremely cool, he was nearly as ubiquitous in the nation's capital as Lincoln himself. Honest, Abe. His image - Lincolnesque again after an unsuccessful flirtation with clean-shavedness - graced an enormous billboard in left field, which from some angles in the riverside ballpark appeared to be supporting the cloud-enveloped Capitol dome.

 I HAVE TODAY OFF. I had big plans. Do some laundry. Pack for a 10-day road trip that begins with a morning flight to Atlanta tomorrow. Fill out the healthcare enrollment form that was due 2 days ago. But then e-mailer Bob Volkert decided to hit me up with a question: When Jayson Werth hit his grand slam in the seventh inning last night, three men were on base: Raul Ibanez, Ryan Howard and Chase Utley. All three of those men, plus Werth, have hit at least 30 home runs this season.

Jayson Werth walked into the visitors' clubhouse at Dolphin Stadium yesterday afternoon, looked at the lineup card posted on the wall, and saw a "2" next to his name. Huh? Catcher? Werth, whom the Baltimore Orioles selected as a catcher in the first round of the 1997 amateur draft, is the Phillies' emergency catcher. But because catcher Chris Coste left the team Wednesday and returned to Philadelphia to be with his wife, Marcia, who gave birth that night to their second daughter, Camryn Marie, Werth essentially became Carlos Ruiz's backup the last two games.

Jayson Werth, relaxing in a chair near his locker yesterday morning, tested one of his bats by smacking the handle against the clubhouse floor. "Feels ready," he declared. And the same can be almost be said for Werth himself. Werth, who suffered what he called a "mild" strain of his right shoulder during batting practice Friday, expects to take live BP today for the first time since then, and Charlie Manuel said Werth will play in a B game tomorrow. Werth started a B game Monday, but struck out twice without swinging.

Jayson Werth has an explanation for his improved performance of late: more photographs. "When I'm seeing the ball well, it's almost like taking 1,000 still pictures of the ball from the time it is pitched to the time it gets to the plate," he said. "When I'm not seeing the ball well, it's like two pictures. " After a slump in which he admitted to feeling "totally lost," the Phillies rightfielder began last night batting .303 (10 for 33) in the first nine games of a 10-game road trip.

Charlie Manuel has grown increasingly anxious to see his regular lineup on the field. But when two everyday players returned yesterday, Manuel was not there to watch them play. The Phillies' manager left Bright House Field yesterday after batting practice to attend to an unspecified personal matter, and will return today. Had he remained, he would have seen third baseman Pedro Feliz, who underwent back surgery last November, make his Grapefruit League debut in the Phillies' 6-5 loss to Pittsburgh.

The righthanded bat the Phillies are looking for may have officially hit the free-agent market Thursday. A day after the Phillies' own top free agent, Jayson Werth, reportedly met with Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona and general manager Theo Epstein in a Chicago hotel, the Atlanta Braves opted not to tender a contract to veteran outfielder Matt Diaz. The Phillies, meanwhile, did tender offers to outfielder Ben Francisco and righthanded pitcher Kyle Kendrick, both of whom are eligible for salary arbitration.

BRYCE HARPER hit his third home run in two games, Jayson Werth homered for the first time since May, and Edwin Jackson struck out 10 Thursday night as the Washington Nationals padded their NL East lead with an 8-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. The Nationals opened an 11-game homestand with an overwhelming performance against a wild-card contender that failed to score an earned run for the third straight game. Jackson (8-9) have up four hits over eight innings. The victory moved the Nationals 5 1/2 games ahead of idle Atlanta.

WASHINGTON - Washington Nationals right fielder Jayson Werth broke his left wrist Sunday night trying to make a sliding catch against the Phillies. "It's a clean break," Washington manager Davey Johnson said after the Nationals' 9-3 loss. "He's going to be out for a while. " Johnson said Werth will see a specialist to evaluate the injury. Werth was injured in the sixth inning. The right fielder's glove got caught underneath him, and he bent his wrist backward trying to grab Placido Polanco's sinking liner.

Jayson Werth has taken another step toward becoming a former Phillie. As expected, Werth declined the Phillies' offer of salary arbitration before the midnight deadline Tuesday night in what was largely a procedural move. The Phillies still can negotiate with Werth and agent Scott Boras, but the move means that if Werth signs elsewhere, the Phillies will receive two high draft picks, because Werth is classified as a Type A free agent. The Phillies would get the top pick from the team that signs Werth - either a first- or second-rounder - and then a sandwich pick between the first and second rounds.