Mark Zuckerman

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Red Sox in Fort Myers

February 28, 2019, 5:40am

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Hello from jetBlue Park, aka "Fenway South." And we've got a matchup today worthy of the real Fenway Park, with Max Scherzer going up against the Red Sox. It's unconventional for a star pitcher like Scherzer to make such a long road trip (2 1/2 hours each way), but like Patrick Corbin earlier this week in Lake Buena Vista, Scherzer wanted to do it and stay on his regular pitching schedule. So he'll likely go three innings and about 50 pitches, going up against several...

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On Taylor's swing, Martinez's lineup and Ross' pitch count

February 27, 2019, 6:16pm

Nationals

On Taylor's swing, Martinez's lineup and Ross' pitch count

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - More thoughts and observations from Wednesday's 14-8 thumping of the Astros to tide you over while I trek across the state for today's game against the Red Sox in Fort Myers ... * Yes, it's early. But the early returns on Michael A. Taylor's revamped swing have been quite positive. Taylor added two more hits during Wednesday's game, both of them line drives to left field, one for a single and another for a double. He also drew a walk in his third plate appearance....

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Not rushed this year, Hellickson ready to extend himself for Nats

February 27, 2019, 12:09pm

Nationals

Not rushed this year, Hellickson ready to extend himself for Nats

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - It's forgotten a bit because of his strong performance last season, but Jeremy Hellickson didn't sign with the Nationals until March 17. He made only one Grapefruit League start before the club broke camp and headed north for opening day. It admittedly took some time for Hellickson to feel like he was in regular-season form. That's not the case this spring. Hellickson did re-sign late again, but at least this time the contract was done before pitchers and catchers...

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Illness delays Zimmerman's spring debut (Nats win 14-8)

February 27, 2019, 7:41am

Nationals

Illness delays Zimmerman's spring debut (Nats win 14-8)

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - It looks like today's game will get started as scheduled after all. The forecast hasn't completely cleared up, but it appears to have cleared up enough to allow the Nationals and Astros to get underway on time. Whether it will stay that way long enough to get the full game in remains to be seen. Even if the rain holds off, we won't be seeing Ryan Zimmerman today. He was held out of the lineup, not because of concern about having him play on a wet field but because...

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Starting lineups: Nats vs. Astros in West Palm Beach

February 27, 2019, 5:29am

Nationals

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Astros in West Palm Beach

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - We've had a bit of a strange weather pattern here over the last 24 hours. It absolutely poured last night, for multiple hours, soaking everything in sight. But this morning the sky was bright blue and it looked like it would be a beautiful day. Except there's another system heading this way, and it's forecast to hit the area right around 1 p.m. So that means today's game against the Astros could be jeopardized. The Nationals are preparing as though they'll be able...

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SÃ¡nchez shows off wide-ranging repertoire in scoreless debut

February 26, 2019, 6:04pm

Nationals

SÃ¡nchez shows off wide-ranging repertoire in scoreless debut

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Anyone who hadn't seen AnÃbal SÃ¡nchez pitch before Tuesday's game saw everything they needed to see during this start against the Cardinals to understand exactly why the Nationals wanted him in the first place. Over the course of two efficient, scoreless innings of work, SÃ¡nchez showed off the repertoire and approach that made him so successful last season in Atlanta. With a fastball that stayed in the upper-80s but a deep assortment of off-speed pitches that...

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Rosenthal wows with triple-digit fastball in return from surgery

February 26, 2019, 11:55am

Nationals

Rosenthal wows with triple-digit fastball in return from surgery

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Trevor Rosenthal sneaked a peek. How could he not? After throwing a couple of fastballs in the top of the fifth this afternoon at FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, Rosenthal decided things were going well enough to take a look at the scoreboard radar gun. "I did. I peeked," he said with a sheepish grin. "After I threw the two balls to the second hitter, I kind of peaked at it. I was kind of surprised at how hard I was throwing." The entire stadium was, Trevor....

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Zimmerman scheduled to play Wednesday (Nats lose 6-1)

February 26, 2019, 8:58am

Nationals

Zimmerman scheduled to play Wednesday (Nats lose 6-1)

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Ryan Zimmerman is the lone Nationals position player who has yet to appear in a Grapefruit League game this spring, but it doesn't appear he'll hold that distinction much longer. Zimmerman is scheduled to make his 2019 debut Wednesday when the Nationals host the Astros here in West Palm Beach, manager Davey Martinez said. Zimmerman, who infamously played in only one major league game last spring and did the vast majority of his work in minor league games on back...

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Glover has forearm strain, has "no doubt" he'll be ready

February 26, 2019, 5:58am

Nationals

Glover has forearm strain, has "no doubt" he'll be ready

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - An MRI of Koda Glover's elbow revealed a forearm strain but no ligament damage, the reliever said this morning, though he will be shut down from throwing for now while the Nationals map out a plan to try to keep their oft-injured right-hander healthy at last. "Just a forearm strain," Glover said. "Nothing crazy. UCL was great. That's good news. It's just one of them things where we think maybe some weakness in there or some fatigue. But I'll be fine. I'm really...

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Starting lineups: Nats vs. Cardinals in West Palm Beach

February 26, 2019, 4:32am

Nationals

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Cardinals in West Palm Beach

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Nationals are back home today, facing the same Cardinals team they saw over the weekend in Jupiter. Though this time they'll be going up against Adam Wainwright instead of Michael Wacha. The lineup includes several regulars, including a one-two combo of Trea Turner and Brian Dozier. Davey Martinez said he wants to try to play those two middle infielders together as much as possible this spring, recognizing the need for them to get familiar with each other. Turner...

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On Robles' speed, C. Kieboom and Difo's new position tryouts

February 25, 2019, 6:54pm

Nationals

On Robles' speed, C. Kieboom and Difo's new position tryouts

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - It's tough to draw many conclusions from spring training games, all the tougher to draw conclusions from long-distance road spring training games, when only a handful of big league regulars are in attendance and they play only a few innings before giving way to minor leaguers. So there wasn't a whole lot to read into the Nationals' 9-4 loss to the Braves on Monday afternoon. But let's pick out a few noteworthy developments, beyond Patrick Corbin's strong two-inning...

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For Corbin, long road trip for spring debut worth the time

February 25, 2019, 11:39am

Nationals

For Corbin, long road trip for spring debut worth the time

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - He could've stayed back in West Palm Beach, skipped the 2 1/2-hour drive up the turnpike and faced live hitters on a back field or something. Veteran pitchers, certainly those who just signed a $140 million contract, aren't typically asked to make long road trips in spring training. Patrick Corbin, though, wanted to pitch against the Braves today. He wanted to stay on his regular schedule, wanted to make his Nationals debut and not get any kind of special...

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Newcomer Corbin impressive in debut (Nats lose 9-4)

February 25, 2019, 9:34am

Nationals

Newcomer Corbin impressive in debut (Nats lose 9-4)

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - If he was going to drive 2 1/2 hours to make his Nationals debut, Patrick Corbin might as well have made the most of the situation. And that's exactly what the club's new $140 million pitcher did this afternoon against the Braves. Working quickly, efficiently and showing off his full repertoire, Corbin retired six of the seven batters he faced, cruising through two scoreless innings at ESPN's Wide World of Sports complex. Given the option of staying back in West Palm...

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Glover getting MRI on elbow today

February 25, 2019, 7:22am

Nationals

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Koda Glover will get an MRI on his right elbow this afternoon, leaving the oft-injured reliever and the Nationals waiting anxiously for results that could determine whether this is a mere spring training bump or cause for the club to re-examine its bullpen plans. Glover had to depart from his Grapefruit League debut Sunday afternoon after walking three consecutive Cardinals batters and complaining of elbow tightness. He threw only 10 of his 22 pitches for strikes and...

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Starting lineups: Nats vs. Braves in Lake Buena Vista

February 25, 2019, 5:36am

Nationals

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Braves in Lake Buena Vista

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The Nationals don't make many long spring training trips anymore, not since relocating from remote Viera to more convenient West Palm Beach. But they do still get stuck with a few lengthy bus rides each year, and one of those comes today. It's 2 1/2 hours each way to Walt Disney World, longtime spring home of the Braves - but not for long. Atlanta will be relocating to North Port in Sarasota County on the Gulf Coast next year, all but eliminating Central Florida from...

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Bulked-up Fedde makes strong impression in first start

February 24, 2019, 6:05pm

Nationals

Bulked-up Fedde makes strong impression in first start

JUPITER, Fla. - Erick Fedde believes he's ready to become a trusted member of the Nationals rotation. But he recognizes that, barring injury, there probably won't be a spot for him in the rotation coming out of spring training. Such a realization might normally be enough to discourage a young right-hander who already has spent more time in the minors than he'd prefer. But Fedde chooses to take more of a glass-half-full approach to the situation. "Last year, I think we used 21 pitchers in...

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Glover departs with elbow tightness in spring debut

February 24, 2019, 12:46pm

Nationals

Glover departs with elbow tightness in spring debut

JUPITER, Fla. - If he had a track record of good health, the sight of Koda Glover walking off the mound at Roger Dean Stadium this afternoon with what he described as "elbow tightness" might not have been enough to send red flags up throughout the Nationals dugout and front office. Alas, Glover has an extensive track record of arm trouble, having been through Tommy John surgery while he was in college and then two years of rotator cuff problems once he reached the majors. And so that image...

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Efficient at-bats producing early runs (Nats win 12-2)

February 24, 2019, 9:27am

Nationals

Efficient at-bats producing early runs (Nats win 12-2)

JUPITER, Fla. - The Nationals insist they want to be better fundamentally this season, and that includes more efficient at-bats with runners in scoring position. They're living up to the mantra so far this afternoon against the Cardinals. The Nats jumped out to a 4-0 lead after three innings, with all four runs scoring on something other than a base hit. Adrian Sanchez drove home the day's first run with an RBI groundout in the top of the second, allowing Victor Robles (who walked and...

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Nats don't plan to shift more, but plan to shift smarter

February 24, 2019, 7:50am

Nationals

Nats don't plan to shift more, but plan to shift smarter

JUPITER, Fla. - The Nationals are emphasizing defensive improvement this spring, and they believe that can be achieved in multiple forms. There's the obvious: upgrades in personnel. Brian Dozier will be better at second base than Daniel Murphy. Victor Robles and/or Michael A. Taylor will be better in center field than Bryce Harper. Yan Gomes and Kurt Suzuki should be better behind the plate than Matt Wieters. There's also the approach: Manager Davey Martinez and his coaches are drilling into...

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Starting lineups: Nats vs. Cardinals in Jupiter

February 24, 2019, 4:37am

Nationals

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Cardinals in Jupiter

JUPITER, Fla. - It's a quick turnaround for the Nationals from last night's Grapefruit League opener to this afternoon's road debut against the Cardinals. Most of the significant names that played last night aren't making the trip to Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, but Matt Adams and Adam Eaton will both be in the lineup (though Eaton will be the DH after starting in right field last night). We'll get our first look at the Trea Turner-Brian Dozier double play combo, as well as our first look...