Michael Morse returned to action on Saturday August 4.

Michael Morse returned to the Nationals lineup for the nightcap of Friday's doubleheader, and went 2-for-4 with a double. Morse sat out the first game with a stomach virus, but was deemed well enough to play in game two, and he didn't appear to show any ill effects. He has been on an absolute tear in recent weeks, hitting .355 (50-for-141) with seven homers and 25 RBI over his last 34 games. At this point, the 30-year-old outfielder has proven that his 2011 breakout season was no fluke and that he's here to stay.

Michael Morse is not in the lineup for the first game of Friday's doubleheader due to a stomach virus. It doesn't sound too bad, as he's hoping to be ready for the nightcap. Tyler Moore is playing left field in the first game.

Michael Morse is not in the Nationals' lineup for the first game of Friday's doubleheader. He's presumably just getting a breather. Morse should be back in the lineup for the second game.

Mike Morse went 1-for-3 and also walked in Friday's loss to the Brewers. On a night where the Nationals only mustered four singles, Morse was the star of the show on offense. After getting off to a slow start after being activated from the DL, Morse has really turned it on as of late, raising his average to .300 on the season to go along with seven homers and 28 RBI in just 197 at-bats.

The struggling Michael Morse asked Nationals manager Davey Johnson after Sunday's game to be moved down in the batting order, but Johnson declined his request. "You're not killing the team," Johnson replied, according to his recollection. "You're going to be fine. You're going to be carrying us in a minute. I'm not worried. So I don't want you worrying." Morse has batted fourth or fifth in every game since coming off the DL and is in the cleanup spot Tuesday. The 30-year-old is batting just .211/.246/.281 with no homers but is due to get hot eventually.

Nationals activated OF-1B Michael Morse from the 15-day disabled list. He's back in the lineup Friday, playing right field and batting cleanup. Morse missed the first two months of the season with a strained lat, but he needed just two rehab games and says he's back at 100 percent. We wouldn't be surprised if he's rusty, but Morse should be returned to your fantasy lineups immediately.

Michael Morse (lat) went 0-for-3 while playing five innings in right field Thursday in a rehab game with High-A Potomac. It was the first time he had played the field during his rehab assignment. Morse made a long throw from the outfield and said he didn't feel anything in the strained lat which forced him to miss the first two months of the season. "I didn't feel anything," Morse said. "There's nothing bothering me. The lat's the last thing I'm thinking about. The only thing I'm thinking about is hitting. That's when you know the injury's good. I'm thinking totally about other things." Morse hopes to come off the disabled list Friday, but it's possible the Nats will have him continue his rehab assignment with Double-A Harrisburg.

Michael Morse (lat) struck out and walked Tuesday in his first minor league rehab game with High-A Potomac. Morse, who served as the DH, only had two at-bats because the game was cut short due to rain. It's not clear when he'll be ready to play the field, but the Nationals haven't ruled out the possibility that he'll be activated to serve as a pinch-hitter this weekend.

Nationals manager Davey Johnson said Michael Morse (lat) will "for sure" be ready to be activated from the disabled list for the series against the Red Sox on June 8. It's possible he'll be back before then. "There's some people thinking it might be accelerated ahead of that," Johnson added. "We'll see on Friday how he comes out of that game." Morse will play in his first extended spring training game on Friday, the first game action he's experienced since being shut down on April 11 with a torn right lat muscle. He'll play in two more extended spring games before joining one of the Nats' minor league affiliates to begin a short rehab assignment.