Healthy Flores looks to help Nats

By Bill Ladson / MLB.com

After having a productive season in 2008, Jesus Flores became the Nationals' Opening Day catcher for the first time.
Flores missed most of Spring Training with a sore right elbow, but the injury appears to be a thing of the past. The 24-year-old is off to a good start with the bat, going 5-for-15 (.333) with an RBI, but he would prefer that the Nationals get their share of wins as opposed to him having personal success on a losing club.

"I feel like I have plenty of confidence in myself to have a good year, but we are having a bad time right now," Flores said. "I would like for us to put everything together and start winning ballgames. I'm very positive that we are going to win games."

Even though runners are 4-for-4 when trying to steal with Flores behind the plate, three of those bases were stolen by Marlins third baseman Emilio Bonifacio. Flores insist that nothing is wrong with the elbow and denied that he is gun shy when it comes to throwing out runners.

"I feel good, and I feel healthy," Flores said. "I don't have a hard time throwing the ball. I feel good. I'm waiting for the opportunities to throw out a lot of people."

Healthy Flores looks to help Nats....