Mark Zuckerman

Nats return to work, still waiting for several players to be cleared

July 07, 2020, 10:08am

The Nationals returned to work today, and they did so in a manner we hadn't yet seen during these first days of summer training. Every available position player was on the field at Nationals Park at the same time this morning, coaches hitting balls to various outfielders so they could work on relay throws. At the same time, a few pitchers were throwing in the bullpen. It looked, for all intents and purposes, like a normal workout day. "It was a good day, it really was," manager Davey...

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Nats to host Yankees in nationally televised MLB opener

July 06, 2020, 1:32pm

Nationals

Nats to host Yankees in nationally televised MLB opener

Major League Baseball's attempt to play the 2020 season will begin at Nationals Park with a nationally televised matchup between the reigning World Series champions and the sport's most storied franchise. The Nationals will host the Yankees on July 23 at 7:08 p.m., the first half of an opening night doubleheader on ESPN that - if successfully pulled off - will serve as the highly anticipated return of major professional team sports in America. MLB's shortened, 60-game planned schedule, which...

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Nationals cancel workout due to delay in test results (updated)

July 06, 2020, 6:05am

Nationals

The Nationals have called off today's scheduled workouts at Nationals Park amid concerns about the delay in getting COVID-19 test results back from Major League Baseball's lab. Despite assurances from MLB that results sent to the league's lab in Salt Lake City would be available 24 hours after testing, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said players and staff members still haven't received results from the tests they all took 72 hours ago. "We cannot have our players and staff work at...

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What it's like being at Nationals Park for summer training

July 05, 2020, 7:15pm

Nationals

I've been getting the question multiple times a day, from family, friends and colleagues, all curious to know: What's it been like at Nationals Park during these first three days of summer training? Well, sorry to disappoint you, but the answer is: Pretty boring. That's not to say my time spent at the ballpark is worthless, or normal. It's just been rather uneventful. For those who don't know, media members are allowed to watch a portion of the daily workout (roughly 2-3 hours) from the...

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Doolittle playing for now, but has several concerns

July 05, 2020, 12:22pm

Nationals

Doolittle playing for now, but has several concerns

Sean Doolittle is here. He's been on the field, participating fully in early summer training workouts. He has thrown off the mound, at times while wearing a mask. He wants to be around for the entire 2020 season. But he's not completely convinced yet he's willing to take the risk. "So far - and we're only three days into this - our medical staff has been doing an incredible job," the Nationals reliever said. "I think it's running as smoothly as it can at this point. Like a lot of...

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Two Nationals players tested positive for COVID-19

July 05, 2020, 9:52am

Nationals

Two Nationals players tested positive for COVID-19 during the team's initial intake testing program, manager Davey Martinez revealed today. The club has not publicly identified the names of the two players and may only do so with the players' permission, per Major League Baseball's protocols this season. No player is allowed to report to Nationals Park before the intake testing results are returned, so neither player who tested positive has been to the stadium yet and come into contact with...

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Scherzer impressed with testing, gearing up for opening day

July 04, 2020, 12:53pm

Nationals

Scherzer impressed with testing, gearing up for opening day

Max Scherzer laughed when a reporter mentioned hearing he threw 65 pitches to live hitters Friday during the Nationals' first workout of the summer, then made sure to clarify that manager Davey Martinez may not have conveyed that information with 100 percent accuracy. Turns out Scherzer threw 32 pitches to hitters over two simulated innings. The 65 total Martinez revealed most likely included his warmup pitches before the batters stepped in. Still, it's a good sign of the current state of...

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Kieboom is everyday third baseman "as of right now"

July 04, 2020, 9:14am

Nationals

Kieboom is everyday third baseman "as of right now"

The Nationals' most pressing question of spring training may already be answered at the outset of summer training: Carter Kieboom is expected to be the club's everyday third baseman. Manager Davey Martinez revealed that significant bit of news today during his second video conference with reporters of this unprecedented summer camp, making it clear his plan at this moment is to pencil Kieboom's name in at third base on opening day and to keep him there throughout this planned shortened...

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Castillo opts out, Cavalli added to roster as workouts begin

July 03, 2020, 11:35am

Nationals

Castillo opts out, Cavalli added to roster as workouts begin

As they took the field (in small groups, staggered over the entire day) for the first time in nearly four months, the Nationals revealed more adjustments to their 60-man roster pool for summer training and the upcoming season, with another veteran opting out and another young prospect joining the group. Welington Castillo, the veteran catcher who had been in spring training as a non-roster invitee, informed club officials he will decline to participate this season, not wanting to risk his...

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Summer training begins today at Nationals Park

July 02, 2020, 8:39pm

Nationals

It's been 114 days since the Nationals last took the field in any kind of formal capacity. On that warm March afternoon in West Palm Beach, they faced the Yankees in an exhibition game played as the entire country was beginning to shut down due to the still-mysterious novel coronavirus. When Major League Baseball announced it was suspending operations, little could anyone have known how much time would pass before they'd gather again on a ballfield. Today, it finally happens. Not in West Palm...

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Some pressing on-field questions as Nats prepare to return

July 01, 2020, 8:59pm

Nationals

Some pressing on-field questions as Nats prepare to return

There hasn't been much reason to have actual baseball discussions around here in a while. But lo and behold, baseball players are going to begin doing baseball things inside baseball stadiums Friday for the first time in nearly four months, so it's finally appropriate to discuss some actual baseball topics. There are countless issues facing the Nationals over the next three weeks and beyond, and so many of those have to do with the unprecedented protocols everyone must follow in an attempt to...

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Mayor approves Nats Park for workouts, fan-less games

June 30, 2020, 9:02pm

Nationals

Mayor approves Nats Park for workouts, fan-less games

The schedule hasn't been finalized yet. The protocols are still being fine-tuned. More players could choose to opt out. But 48 hours from now, the Nationals will be gathering on South Capitol Street for their first team workout in nearly four months. Summer training is officially approved for Nationals Park after D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser granted the team a waiver Tuesday to hold group workouts in its home ballpark. Camp is scheduled to open Friday and run for almost three weeks, setting the...

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Minor league season officially canceled

June 30, 2020, 1:53pm

Nationals

It had been a foregone conclusion for some time, but today's official announcement nonetheless hurts baseball fans around the world: The 2020 minor league season has been canceled. The announcement came after Major League Baseball informed Minor League Baseball it will not be providing its affiliated teams with players this season. MLB clubs have designated 60 players who may appear during the planned 60-game major league season, with those players not on the active roster at any given time...

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Players who choose to sit out don't owe us an explanation

June 29, 2020, 8:54pm

Nationals

Players who choose to sit out don't owe us an explanation

Four major league players announced their decisions not to play in 2020 on Monday, three of them current or former Nationals. Their stated reasons for opting out varied from specific health concerns about close family members (Ryan Zimmerman) to more vague concerns about the pandemic (Mike Leake) to a passionate and deeply personal message about baseball, race, culture, health and family (Ian Desmond). Joe Ross, the fourth player, has not yet made a public statement about his decision. Which is...

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Zimmerman and Ross opting out of 2020 season (updated)

June 28, 2020, 8:56pm

Nationals

Zimmerman and Ross opting out of 2020 season (updated)

Ryan Zimmerman, the only person to play in a major league game for the Nationals during each of their 15 seasons in town, will not play for the club during its 16th season. Zimmerman and right-hander Joe Ross have opted out of the abbreviated 2020 campaign, uncomfortable with the health risks posed to players and staffers during this unprecedented attempt to play through a global pandemic. "Ryan Zimmerman and Joe Ross have decided not to participate in the 2020 season for the personal health...

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Thoughts on the Nats' preliminary 60-man roster

June 28, 2020, 7:39pm

Nationals

Thoughts on the Nats' preliminary 60-man roster

If you've followed baseball closely over the years, you should have a basic understanding of a franchise's various rosters and how they differ. There's the 25-man roster, of course, the group of players actively in the major leagues at any given moment. Then there's the 40-man roster, which in addition to the 25 active big leaguers includes players on the short-term injured list (10-day IL) and the group of top-tier minor leaguers who are most likely to be promoted at some point. Players...

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A primer on the plan for the 2020 season

June 23, 2020, 7:32pm

Nationals

A primer on the plan for the 2020 season

The plan to start the 2020 Major League Baseball season is now officially in place. Whether it is completed in full depends on the spread of the novel coronavirus and the ability of more than 1,000 players, coaches, trainers, clubhouse staffers, team executives, umpires, groundskeepers and other assorted support staff to keep it from spreading. It's a daunting task, one that has no guarantee of being successful. But MLB is going to give it a try after getting approval Tuesday night from the...

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Was this bitter fight worth it?

June 22, 2020, 8:17pm

Nationals

So after all that, after months of nothing and weeks of bickering, after talk of a season that could be as short as 48 games or as long as 114 games, after proposals to expand the postseason to 16 teams and institute the universal designated hitter this year and next, after all that, what did we get? A 60-game season unilaterally imposed by the commissioner. The standard postseason format. The universal DH this year only. A grievance that is all but certain to be filed by the players in the...

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MLB will impose season after players vote down final offer

June 22, 2020, 4:11pm

Nationals

MLB will impose season after players vote down final offer

The Major League Baseball Players Association resoundingly voted down the league's latest (and final) proposal for the 2020 season this evening, leaving commissioner Rob Manfred to unilaterally impose a shortened season on the players, the details of which should be announced in the next 24 to 48 hours. The MLBPA executive committee - made up of 30 team representatives and the eight-man subcommittee that includes Nationals ace Max Scherzer - formally voted today not to accept the league's...

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Whenever baseball resumes, it won't look or sound normal

June 21, 2020, 9:48pm

Nationals

Whenever baseball resumes, it won't look or sound normal

The last three months have provided an opportunity to re-watch plenty of classic games, and honestly it's been a fun experience. But nothing compares to a real, live sporting event, and I think we're all reaching a point where it's becoming harder and harder to be without them. The last few weeks have provided a few viewing options, though, as a handful of sports and leagues resume competition in empty facilities. And they've given us a taste of what might be in store for the country's...