Mark Zuckerman

Bell ready to be the guy who hits behind Soto

February 25, 2021, 7:04pm

The most important hit in Nationals history - well, until he produced an even more important hit three weeks later - came moments after the opponents intentionally walked Juan Soto. Yep, it's easy to forget now what preceded Howie Kendrick's 10th-inning grand slam at Dodger Stadium in Game 5 of the 2019 National League Division Series, but it was indeed an intentional walk of Soto. The Dodgers weren't about to let the then-20-year-old sensation beat them in a winner-take-all game. They would...

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After year away, Zimmerman relishing return to Nats

February 25, 2021, 10:24am

Nationals

After year away, Zimmerman relishing return to Nats

Though a few things have changed since he last walked into the Nationals clubhouse - like the mandatory COVID-19 testing and temperature checks, the spaced-out lockers and the fact everyone must wear a mask indoors - Ryan Zimmerman feels far more a sense of familiarity right now at his home away from home. "It's good to be back out here and kind of going through the day-to-day grind again," he said. "I missed that part, for sure." It's been nearly a year since Zimmerman was last with his...

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Kieboom tries to block out the noise and trust himself

February 24, 2021, 6:18pm

Nationals

Kieboom tries to block out the noise and trust himself

Carter Kieboom has heard all your theories. That he wasn't aggressive enough at the plate. That he was hampered by an injury. That he couldn't handle the pressure of replacing Anthony Rendon at third base. And he heard all the chatter this winter about his future with the Nationals. That the club was going to trade for a new third baseman, either Kris Bryant or maybe Eugenio SuÃ¡rez. Or sign a free agent who would bump him out of the lineup, like Justin Turner or DJ LeMahieu. Here, though,...

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Notes on Scherzer, Jeffress, live BP and exhibition games

February 24, 2021, 10:06am

Nationals

Notes on Scherzer, Jeffress, live BP and exhibition games

For the first time this spring, all 72 players in the Nationals' big league camp were on the field and participating today. On the second day of full-squad workouts, the only two pitchers who had yet to participate (Javy Guerra and Jeremy Jeffress) were cleared to join their teammates. Guerra, who had been in Arizona with his wife as she gave birth in recent days, arrived in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Monday and on Tuesday cleared his mandatory intake testing. Jeffress, meanwhile, passed his...

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How will the Turner-Soto Era of Nationals baseball be defined?

February 23, 2021, 6:34pm

Nationals

The Nationals, like every franchise, have been through multiple eras over the years. Break down their 17 seasons in the District into smaller chunks, and you can rattle off each of those eras with only a handful of names. The Frank Robinson Era. The Ryan Zimmerman Era. The Adam Dunn Era. The Stephen Strasburg-Jordan Zimmermann Era. The Bryce Harper-Jayson Werth Era. The Max Scherzer-Strasburg-Anthony Rendon Championship Club. And now, the Trea Turner-Juan Soto Era. Make no mistake, that's the...

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Turner, Soto grapple with question of long-term extensions

February 23, 2021, 11:03am

Nationals

Turner, Soto grapple with question of long-term extensions

The questions were inevitable. When a star homegrown player approaching free agency reports for spring training, he's going to be asked about contract discussions. And when it happens only days after one of baseball's brightest young stars signs a gargantuan extension with his club, it's a foregone conclusion. So neither Trea Turner nor Juan Soto could've been surprised today when the subject came up in their respective first Zoom sessions with reporters of 2021. On the heels of Fernando...

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Scherzer throws off mound, full squad takes field for first time

February 23, 2021, 8:31am

Nationals

Scherzer throws off mound, full squad takes field for first time

Max Scherzer was back on a mound this morning in West Palm Beach, Fla., throwing pitches (albeit not many and not at full velocity) for the first time since a sprained left ankle sidetracked him two weeks ago. Scherzer was cleared to resume throwing off the bullpen mound. He wound up throwing 10 pitches, "very light," according to manager Davey Martinez. "We just wanted to see him land on that foot," Martinez said during his daily Zoom session with reporters. "He said he felt good. We'll...

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With deep bullpen, Nats think they're set to close games

February 22, 2021, 7:07pm

Nationals

With deep bullpen, Nats think they're set to close games

If you wanted to try to distill the story of the Nationals bullpen over the last several seasons into one simplified narrative, it would be this: Davey Martinez didn't trust enough guys to pitch in high-leverage situations, forcing the manager to overuse his one or two best relievers, which sometimes led to ineffectiveness or injury. It's a pattern that has often repeated itself around here, and it's one Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo appear determined to avoid in 2021. And how...

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Scherzer throwing on flat ground, Lester happy to blend in

February 22, 2021, 10:08am

Nationals

Scherzer throwing on flat ground, Lester happy to blend in

The Nationals aren't about to let Max Scherzer rush his way back from a sprained ankle, but as their ace continues to shows signs of progress, they will let him progressively ramp himself back up to the point where he's caught up to everyone else in camp. Scherzer took an important step in that process over the last two days when he was able to throw on flat ground and work out without reporting any significant issues with his left ankle. Scherzer threw from 60 feet Sunday and "felt...

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Nationals adding another accomplished reliever in Jeffress

February 22, 2021, 8:17am

Nationals

A Nationals bullpen that already looked deep on paper could be getting a boost from another experienced arm: right-hander Jeremy Jeffress, who has agreed to a minor league deal with an invitation to big league camp, manager Davey Martinez confirmed this afternoon. "He's got to come in, take his intake test, take a physical and then we'll know more after that," Martinez said from West Palm Beach, Fla., during his daily Zoom session with reporters. "But if everything goes well, I'm excited...

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Martinez searching for way to move Turner out of leadoff spot

February 21, 2021, 6:00pm

Nationals

Martinez searching for way to move Turner out of leadoff spot

Trea Turner already had established himself as one of the best leadoff hitters in baseball. Then over the course of 60 dominant games in 2020, the Nationals shortstop established himself as one of the best offensive players in baseball, period. Don't believe it? Look at the numbers. Last season Turner ranked fifth in the majors in batting average (.335), fifth in runs scored (46), first in hits (78), third in total bases (137), sixth in extra base hits (31), 12th in slugging percentage (.588),...

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After injury wiped out 2020, Strasburg healthy and determined

February 21, 2021, 9:12am

Nationals

After injury wiped out 2020, Strasburg healthy and determined

The numbness started in his right thumb, in early July just after the Nationals gathered in D.C. to begin an abbreviated summer training camp. As he continued to build himself up for the shortened 2020 regular season, the numbness began to spread to his hand. When it came time to make his scheduled season debut July 25 against the Yankees, Stephen Strasburg realized he couldn't effectively pitch like this. So the Nats medical staff tried to treat the injury with cortisone shots and...

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Increased time behind plate won't be new for Gomes

February 20, 2021, 6:25pm

Nationals

Increased time behind plate won't be new for Gomes

As he evaluated his club's catching corps during the offseason, and then examined the likeliest outside candidates to be added, Davey Martinez quickly came to one conclusion: Yan Gomes was going to be the Nationals' No. 1 catcher in 2021. And that wasn't a bad thing in the manager's mind. "I talked to him a lot this winter and told him that he would get the bulk of the catching this year," Martinez said from West Palm Beach, Fla., during a Zoom session with reporters. "I want him to...

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Ross easing back, Guerra still home, spring tickets go on sale

February 20, 2021, 8:30am

Nationals

Ross easing back, Guerra still home, spring tickets go on sale

Davey Martinez has made no secret about his desire to use Joe Ross as his No. 5 starter. While acknowledging the open competition that also includes Erick Fedde, Austin Voth and perhaps even Rogelio Armenteros taking place this spring, the Nationals manager has openly stated he wants Ross to prove he's earned the job. But in their evaluation, Martinez and new pitching coach Jim Hickey need to consider not only Ross' performance but the state of his arm after he opted out of the 2020 season....

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Players, staff grateful for return to full-length spring training

February 19, 2021, 6:46pm

Nationals

Players, staff grateful for return to full-length spring training

Spring training is too long. Find a ballplayer who disagrees with that assessment. You won't. Six weeks in Florida and Arizona is a long time, and it gets awfully repetitive awfully quick. You can only run pickoff drills and practice fielding bunts so many times before your brain goes numb. But as everyone gathers in the warm sunshine this week, you might find more than a few ballplayers who are actually looking forward to the long slog of spring training this time. They may not have realized...

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Scherzer confident ankle will be fine, not ready to talk contract

February 19, 2021, 8:59am

Nationals

Scherzer confident ankle will be fine, not ready to talk contract

Spring training injuries are nothing new for Max Scherzer. Remember the fractured knuckle that forced him to temporarily throw his fastball with a three-finger grip in 2017? Or the sore right side that cropped up last spring as a result of mechanical changes he made? So Scherzer's newest spring ailment - a sprained left ankle suffered two weeks ago - is merely the latest on the list. And if the 36-year-old ace is to be believed, this one won't have any long-lasting negative effects, just as...

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Nats seek normalcy, fun amid camp protocols, restrictions

February 18, 2021, 6:11pm

Nationals

Nats seek normalcy, fun amid camp protocols, restrictions

Sure, there were obvious signs of the difference between this camp and all previous ones. Staffers wore masks. Players tried to keep their distance from each other whenever possible. And, of course, there were no fans or reporters in attendance. All the same, there was an undeniable sense of normalcy Thursday morning when the Nationals opened spring training with their first official pitchers and catchers workout of 2021. Everyone involved knows things still aren't normal. But after getting a...

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Nats never pursued other third basemen, confident in Kieboom

February 18, 2021, 10:16am

Nationals

Nats never pursued other third basemen, confident in Kieboom

One by one, Mike Rizzo crossed off five must-have items on his offseason wish list this winter. Power bat: Josh Bell. Corner outfielder: Kyle Schwarber. No. 4 starter: Jon Lester. Left-handed reliever: Brad Hand. No. 2 catcher: Alex Avila. Those were the five roster holes the Nationals absolutely needed to fill. And though some may have felt there was a sixth hole that needed to be addressed as well - third base - Rizzo never believed it was necessary to make anything more than the standard...

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Strasburg back to normal, but Scherzer has sprained ankle

February 18, 2021, 8:23am

Nationals

Strasburg back to normal, but Scherzer has sprained ankle

The Nationals ace everyone's been waiting to hear about is fully healthy and throwing in the early days of spring training. The one nobody had been asking about, however, is currently being held back after suffering a minor injury before camp officially began. While Stephen Strasburg has fully recovered from last summer's right wrist surgery and is fully participating at workouts, Max Scherzer is not throwing for now after spraining his left ankle two weeks ago. According to manager Davey...

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What to expect as Nationals go to work in West Palm Beach

February 17, 2021, 6:31pm

Nationals

The day has arrived. This morning in West Palm Beach, Fla., Nationals pitchers and catchers will take the fields outside The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches as a group and conduct their first official workout of 2021. It's quite all right if you need a moment here to compose yourself, wipe a tear from your eye or just take a few seconds to enjoy the meaning of all this. If it feels like a long time coming, it is. And it's not just that the 2020 season ended 3 1/2 months ago. It's how little...