Sheer Lunacy

That they would even consider making this change is irresponsible and irrational. Belliard is the team's LEADING FREAKING HITTER!!!

SAN DIEGO -- Cristian Guzman, on the disabled list with a left hamstring strain, is scheduled to rejoin the Nationals in Milwaukee on Monday and start at shortstop that night.
Guzman has been playing extended Spring Training games since last week and hasn't had any problems on the field.

The move means that second baseman Ronnie Belliard will go back to the bench and Felipe Lopez will switch from shortstop to second base.

Belliard has done a very good job, leading the Nationals in hits with 31 and hitting .307 entering Tuesday's action. But manager Manny Acta pointed out that Guzman has two years left on his contract with the Nationals, and the skipper wants to see if Guzman can be the player that helped the Twins win three consecutive American League Central titles.

Guzman has struggled since signing a four-year, $16.8 million contract with Washington. He hit .219 in 142 games in 2005 and missed all of last season because of a right shoulder injury.

"Guzman is ours. We need to fix him," Acta said. "We need to see the player that was in Minnesota a couple of years ago, and I think he earned that right with the he kind of Spring Training that he had. We owe it to him to put him out there."

Besides being a backup second baseman, third baseman and shortstop, Belliard is expected to take ground balls at first base and back up Dmitri Young and Robert Fick.