Class of '06: Shortstop Stephen King believes the Nationals' accelerated camp was one of the best things that has happened to him. He hadn't seen live pitching in many months prior to arriving in camp, but he feels that the intrasqaud games will help him become successful in his first year in pro ball. King said he expects to be a doubles-type hitter.

"To get the extra couple of weeks of live pitching has helped me out tremendously," King said. "It helps get in front of the other guys. The main thing was to get my timing back, see live pitching, see some curveballs and see velocity. I feel very comfortable at the plate."

King, 19, was slated to be a first-round pick, but he fell to the third round because of a minor left knee injury. It ended up hurting his performance on the diamond. Injuries continue to bother him. He now has tendinitis in his right shoulder and missed a few intrasqaud games.

"It's just a little sore," he said. "I get it heated up every morning. I threw too much and got some tendinitis.

On the move: Left-hander Matt Chico said recently if he were still with the Diamondbacks, he would not have been given a chance to make the big-league club, because the organization is loaded with starting pitching.

But Chico is close to gaining a rotation spot with the Nationals after pitching four shutout innings against the Tigers last week. Manager Manny Acta is constantly saying that Chico is not afraid to face tough hitters such as Miguel Tejada.