The Nationals have optioned C Jesus Flores to AAA.  Flores was taken from the Mets as a part of the Rule V draft for the 2007 season.

The Nationals also activated OF Wily Mo Pena from the 15 Day DL.

According to the AP, Nationals OF Wily Mo Pena will miss about four weeks due to an injury to his left oblique.  He hurt himself in a session of batting practice.

In a story by the Associated Press, Nationals OF Elijah Dukes claims to a be a changed man.

“I’ve been working on myself a long time, and I finally found a breakthrough,” the 23-year-old Dukes said. “And from now on, everybody gets a chance to really see (what) the real Elijah Dukes is like. I’ve always been working on it, it’s just been issues of mine and I think now I finally tuned it up a bit so I can stay on the field the whole year.”

Dukes, while talented, has been arrested six times since 1998. This offseason, the Nationals traded for Dukes from the Rays.

While I doubt they’ll contend this year, or even next year, the Nats have a nice young OF corps there with Dukes, Lastings Milledge, Wily Mo Pena and if 1B Nick Johnson can every stay healthy at 1B they could look to be a playoff contender in the next few years. Even down the stretch this year they could be scary and play spoiler.

mlbtraderumors.com has reported that the Nationals have signed IF Aaron Boone to a 1 year, $1MM contract. Boone played part time for the Marlins in 2007.

The Nats have also decided to extend OF Wily Mo Pena’s contract, geting $2MM in 2008 with an option in ‘09