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Nationals-Diamondbacks Preview

Aug 5, 2010 - 6:25 AM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS Writer

Washington (47-60) at Arizona (40-67), 9:40 p.m. EDT

Adam Dunn's future with the Washington Nationals remains murky, but the slugger is finding ways to help the team in the meantime.

Dunn will try to continue his power surge in Thursday night's finale of a four-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The Nationals' official website reported that Dunn was placed on waivers Tuesday, with the move coming four days after an unsuccessful attempt to trade the first baseman. If a player on waivers is claimed, a team has 48 hours to work out a trade or bring him back.

Washington (48-60) could still trade Dunn before the Aug. 31 deadline if he goes unclaimed, or the team can sign him to a contract extension.

"It's out of my control. I'm not worried about it," Dunn told the team's website. "You cannot not think about it, because every day it's everywhere, and people are asking you about it every second of the day."

So far, it hasn't proved a distraction to Dunn as he's hit four homers and driven in seven runs in four games this month. He went deep twice and had an RBI single in a 7-2 win Wednesday, giving him an NL-best 28 homers and 71 RBIs this season.

While attempting to take a third consecutive series over the Diamondbacks and claim their sixth victory in eight games overall, the Nationals will try to help Ross Detwiler to his first win this season.

Detwiler (0-1, 1.00 ERA), who has never faced Arizona, has been given a combined three runs of support in his two starts since being recalled from the minors July 25.

The left-hander was hurt by five unearned runs in a loss at Milwaukee that same day - his first major league start following offseason hip surgery. He did not get a decision in Saturday's 7-5 win over Philadelphia despite allowing one run and five hits over 5 1-3 innings.

Having lost six of seven at home and 10 of 13 overall, the Diamondbacks (40-68) will counter with Barry Enright (2-2, 2.78), who is 1-1 over his last four starts despite giving up two runs or fewer in each of them.

The rookie right-hander, who has never faced Washington, held the New York Mets to two runs and four hits Saturday but was lifted after throwing 86 pitches over six innings as the team tries to limit his workload. He did not get a decision in the 5-4 defeat.

"For me being competitive, it's obviously going to be hard to dial back anything, but I'm totally supportive of what their plan is," Enright told the Diamondbacks' official website. "I'm going to keep showing up and taking the ball every five days and doing the best I can to give the team a chance to win."

The status of Arizona slugger Mark Reynolds isn't known for Thursday's game. He was hit in the helmet by a pitch after homering in Tuesday's 6-1 win and was removed after the seventh inning as a precaution Wednesday after striking out three times.