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Stanton speaks out for 1st time since injury

By WTOP Staff

TIM REYNOLDS
AP Sports Writer

MIAMI (AP) — Giancarlo Stanton still needs to have five teeth fixed or replaced, along with a procedure to assess how much blood remains in his sinus cavity, and he will be understandably leery the next time he grabs a bat.

He also knows things could be a whole lot worse.

The Miami slugger spoke out for the first time Thursday night about the injury that ended his season, doing so while still sporting a pair of slightly blackened eyes and with a wound evident over the left side of his mouth.

His return wasn’t triumphant; the Marlins were beaten 6-2 by the Washington Nationals.

Stanton rejoined the club exactly one week after taking a fastball from Milwaukee’s Mike Fiers in the face.

“Swelling’s way down, much better than I envisioned,” Stanton said. “Just got to get the grill fixed and we’ll go from there.”

Stanton sounded very much like himself, though he is still a bit uncomfortable about putting the extent of his dental damage on display. The 24-year-old outfielder met with reporters, but no photos or videos were permitted.

Jeff Baker drove in one run and scored another for the Marlins (74-78).

Miami native Gio Gonzalez (9-10) allowed two runs in seven innings, and Bryce Harper had three hits for the Nationals, who are pushing for home-field advantage in the NL playoffs. Kevin Frandsen and Anthony Rendon each had two hits for Washington (88-64), which took control with a five-run fourth off Miami starter Brad Hand.

Hand (3-8) gave up five earned runs and eight hits in five innings.

“It was nice to see him and see that he’s doing all right,” Hand said of Stanton. “But we’ve still got to come in here and get the job done.”

Stanton said he remembers Fiers’ arm action on the pitch, and thinks his eyes found the ball about midway through its journey to the plate. The pitch came in and caught the NL MVP contender in the face, and Stanton said he briefly blacked out.

“My ears were ringing,” Stanton said. “I couldn’t hear nothing, except the ring. I was checking my mouth, just the blood, mouth full and having chunks of teeth floating around.”

Stanton hoped to play all 162 games this season, and even envisioned a return later this year after the injury. The Marlins ruled him officially out for 2014 earlier this week.

When he returns, Stanton said he will wear additional protection on his helmet. He doesn’t expect to have any mental blocks about playing again.

“I think when we decide the protection, I’ll have more reassurance,” Stanton said.

Stanton led the NL with 37 home runs and 105 RBIs when he got hurt, plus had drawn more intentional walks than any other two NL players combined — all part of the reason why his teammates have insisted for weeks that he should be the league MVP.

“That’s not up to me,” Stanton said. “That’s the voters. There’s nothing I can do.”

Stanton has heard from plenty of people who have endured similar injuries, including Atlanta’s Jason Heyward. Stanton’s orbital bone was broken by the pitch from Fiers — but not shattered, which is a critical distinction. Stanton said his vision is normal and that he anticipates no reason why he won’t be able to begin his usual offseason program in December.

Still, the force of the hit was massive. Stanton’s face was struck on the left, but blood was found in the sinuses on the right side of his head — with an additional CT scan still looming to assess that situation, which is currently preventing him from flying commercially. The Marlins brought him back to Miami on a private jet.

Stanton isn’t sure how many stitches were needed to close the wounds, either.

“I was really fortunate,” Stanton said. “I could have my mouth wired shut now, I could have a plate in my face, I could have a lot of things. I’ll take a few missing teeth over all that. My face didn’t do exactly what it was supposed to do by taking that force, but it helped me out.”

K’S FOR CAPPS

Miami reliever Carter Capps recorded four outs, all by strikeout. He is the seventh Marlins pitcher to do that, according to STATS.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Nationals: 3B Ryan Zimmerman went 1 for 7 as the DH in a simulated game at the Nationals’ training facility in Viera, Florida.

Marlins: RHP Jose Fernandez, out for the season because of elbow reconstruction surgery, might begin a light throwing regimen on Oct. 1.

UP NEXT

Nationals: RHP Doug Fister (14-6, 2.55) gets the ball Friday night in Miami.

Marlins: RHP Tom Koehler (9-9, 3.71) starts Friday against Washington.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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