D.C.: Through the looking glass

⚾️Nationals: After splitting their Thursday-Sunday series 2-2 with the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Nats now hold a 5-8 record. But more concerning than yesterday’s 5–2 loss are the rapidly accumulating injuries. Star pitcher Stephen Strasburg — who was scheduled to start yesterday — was placed on the injured list with shoulder inflammation. Eek.

• That’s not all. Relievers Wander Suero (strained oblique) and Luis Avilán (torn elbow ligament) are also dealing with health issues. And here we thought 2021 was going to be better.

🏀Wizards: The very streaky Wizards will look to extend their four-game winning streak tonight against the Oklahoma City Thunder — and every one of the Wiz’s remaining 16 games counts. They’re currently neck-in-neck with the Chicago Bulls and Toronto Raptors for 10th in the Eastern Conference.

• This is a BFD as the seventh through 10th placed teams in each conference participate in a play-in tournament before officially securing a playoff spot. While the Wiz have an easier schedule than their two closest opponents, truth and time tells all.

🏒Capitals: The Caps dropped a chippy 6–3 affair to the Boston Bruins yesterday. Despite the loss, the Caps are still atop the East Division with 10 regular season games remaining. If the new-look playoffs started today, their first-round opponent would be the Bruins. Spicy.