Mark Zuckerman

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Cardinals in Jupiter

March 29, 2017, 5:40am

JUPITER, Fla. - It's looking like a newsy day at Nationals camp, the penultimate day of spring training. The team announced a flurry of cuts this morning: Vance Worley was granted his unconditional release; A.J. Cole and Trevor Gott were optioned to Triple-A Syracuse; Jacob Turner, Neal Cotts and Jhonatan Solano were reassigned to minor league camp. That leaves Jeremy Guthrie as the only non-roster player still here. Meanwhile, we may finally get our long-awaited answer about the identity of...

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Nats have three final decisions to make before opening day

March 28, 2017, 6:24pm

Nationals

Nats have three final decisions to make before opening day

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Nationals have wrapped up the home portion of their spring training schedule, with only two road games left on the docket before they leave Florida: Today against the Cardinals in Jupiter (note the early 12:05 p.m. start) and Thursday against the Red Sox in Fort Myers. They still have some things to sort out, though, before heading north for good. So let's run through those final decisions ... WHO'S THE CLOSER? You've heard everything you need to hear about this...

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Turner, Guthrie make final cases to make pitching staff

March 28, 2017, 5:54pm

Nationals

Turner, Guthrie make final cases to make pitching staff

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - While bigger names came and went this spring, Jacob Turner remained in the Nationals clubhouse, a quiet-but-constant presence that didn't draw much attention. Here we are, though, with the club breaking camp and heading north in fewer than 48 hours, and the tall right-hander remains a member of the spring training roster, still theoretically battling for a spot on the opening day roster. The odds remain long; his only hope at this point, beyond injury to a member of the...

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Still no closer, plus an update on Murphy (Nats lose 4-2)

March 28, 2017, 4:10pm

Nationals

Still no closer, plus an update on Murphy (Nats lose 4-2)

NATIONALS QUICK WRAP Score: Marlins 4, Nats 2 Recap: In their lone night game of the spring, the Nationals turned to Jacob Turner for the start, giving the non-roster right-hander one more chance to make a case for himself to make the club. Turner's night got off to a rocky start, though, with two hits, a walk, a stolen base and an error leading to three first-inning runs. He settled down after that and retired 11 in a row before departing after the fourth. The Nationals got a two-run homer...

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Robinson placed on waivers, heads home to mull future

March 28, 2017, 1:50pm

Nationals

Robinson placed on waivers, heads home to mull future

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Clint Robinson had six weeks to prepare for the news he didn't make the Nationals opening day roster. He all but knew it when the team signed Adam Lind - a carbon-copy of himself as a player, just with more of a track record of success, not to mention a guaranteed contract - on the eve of spring training reporting day. That didn't lessen the sting this afternoon, though, when Robinson officially got the word. He has been placed on waivers, and is now en route with his...

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Starting lineups: Nats vs. Marlins in West Palm Beach

March 28, 2017, 11:13am

Nationals

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Marlins in West Palm Beach

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Nationals are playing their lone night game of the spring, their first (of course) at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. Time to see how the lights work here, and time to see how these guys deal with playing under the lights for a change. It'll be Jacob Turner, still fighting for a spot as the long man in the bullpen, getting the start as the Nationals finish lining up their rotation for the season's first week. This should be Joe Ross' slot, but he just threw in a...

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After another big spring at the plate, Harper is ready to go

March 28, 2017, 3:58am

Nationals

After another big spring at the plate, Harper is ready to go

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - While Max Scherzer scrambles to build his arm up over the final week of spring training and Daniel Murphy scrambles to get as many at-bats as he can and Matt Wieters tries to get his body ready for the rigors of a full season behind the plate, there's at least one player in Nationals camp who clearly doesn't need any more prep time before the regular season. Bryce Harper is good to go. "He told me three or four days ago he was ready," manager Dusty Baker said. Harper...

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Despite mechanical glitches, Scherzer dominates Mets

March 27, 2017, 1:27pm

Nationals

Despite mechanical glitches, Scherzer dominates Mets

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Max Scherzer felt like his mechanics were out of whack today, his fastball command off, his fatigue level coming sooner than he'd normally like. The result of all those problems: five innings of scoreless ball, with the only two hits he allowed coming in his final inning. "That's a pretty good outing for a guy who didn't really have it all together," manager Dusty Baker noted. Yes, indeed. If this is how Scherzer looked when he wasn't in top form, imagine how he...

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Decision-makers meeting tonight to pick closer (Nats win 6-0)

March 27, 2017, 10:21am

Nationals

Decision-makers meeting tonight to pick closer (Nats win 6-0)

NATIONALS QUICK WRAP Score: Nats 6, Mets 0 Recap: Max Scherzer cruised through the Mets lineup, carrying a no-hitter into the fifth before he allowed two singles. The right-hander did walk three batters and drove up his pitch count to 85 before departing after five scoreless innings. He got plenty of offensive support from Bryce Harper and Trea Turner. Each young star homered twice, with three of the bombs coming off Mets starter Seth Lugo. Enny Romero continued his dominant spring with two...

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Nathan on unconditional release: "I get it"

March 27, 2017, 8:07am

Nationals

Nathan on unconditional release: "I get it"

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Joe Nathan and Matt Albers did just about everything within their power to convince the Nationals to make them part of their opening day roster. In the end, the club simply didn't have space for either veteran in its deep bullpen. The Nationals granted both Nathan and Albers their unconditional releases this morning, beating a noon Eastern time deadline that required the pitchers either to be told they had made the club or else be paid a $100,000 retention bonus to...

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Starting lineups: Nats vs. Mets in Port St. Lucie

March 27, 2017, 6:27am

Nationals

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Mets in Port St. Lucie

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Who wants to see a 29-year-old Heisman Trophy winner with extremely limited baseball experience step into the batter's box against the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner? Well, you're in luck, because that's going to happen today at First Data Field. Tim Tebow is going to bat against Max Scherzer. In a game. Probably more than once. The Nationals today get their first taste of the circus that is Tebowmania. The former football player is, inexplicably, still...

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Decision looms for Nats and Nathan (Albers, Nathan released)

March 26, 2017, 2:04pm

Nationals

Decision looms for Nats and Nathan (Albers, Nathan released)

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The time has come for the Nationals and Joe Nathan to make a decision on each other. Per Major League Baseball's new collective bargaining agreement, the Nationals have until noon Eastern time today to either inform Nathan he has made their opening day roster, grant him his unconditional release or pay him a $100,000 retention bonus, which would allow Nathan to begin the season in the minor leagues with a new deadline of June 1 to opt out if he isn't called up to...

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On GonzÃ¡lez's struggle, Albers' zeros and Snyder's demotion

March 26, 2017, 1:40pm

Nationals

On GonzÃ¡lez's struggle, Albers' zeros and Snyder's demotion

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Given how well he has pitched all spring, Gio GonzÃ¡lez was entitled to one rough day. That's how Dusty Baker viewed the left-hander's uncharacteristically poor start this afternoon, in which he was roughed up by the Astros for five runs in five innings. "It's hard to be good all the time in the spring," the Nationals manager said. "That was the first bad one he had." GonzÃ¡lez entered the day sporting a sparkling 1.10 ERA in four previous Grapefruit League...

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GonzÃ¡lez endures first rough start of the spring (Nats lose 5-1)

March 26, 2017, 11:03am

Nationals

GonzÃ¡lez endures first rough start of the spring (Nats lose 5-1)

NATIONALS QUICK WRAP Score: Astros 5, Nats 1 Recap: Gio GonzÃ¡lez struggled through his worst start in an otherwise fantastic spring, allowing five runs in five innings, including a pair of home runs. The left-hander entered with a 1.10 ERA but departed with that number having jumped to 2.95. The Nationals managed only one run off Astros starter Joe Musgrove, the product of Trea Turner's leadoff double in the first and Bryce Harper's sacrifice fly. Need to know: Matt Albers tossed two more...

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Strasburg gets fourth career opening day assignment

March 26, 2017, 8:50am

Nationals

Strasburg gets fourth career opening day assignment

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The worst-kept secret at Nationals camp was unsealed and made public this morning: Stephen Strasburg will start on opening day. "Yeah, that's correct," manager Dusty Baker said. "I know you guys can count. He's slated to go opening day." It had been obvious for more than a week that Strasburg would be getting the ball for the April 3 season opener against the Marlins, once it was clear Max Scherzer's throwing schedule lined him up for the season's third game...

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Starting lineups: Nats vs. Astros in West Palm Beach

March 26, 2017, 6:55am

Nationals

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Astros in West Palm Beach

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Nationals and Astros face each other for the second straight day, the only difference that the Nats are wearing white pants this time while the Astros wear gray. Such are the perks of the shared spring training complex, all that differentiates road games from home games are the color of slacks. Gio GonzÃ¡lez takes the mound for this one, looking to continue what has been a dominant spring to date. The lefty has a 1.10 ERA in five starts, having allowed only 12...

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After learning pitching staff, Wieters now addressing his swing

March 26, 2017, 3:33am

Nationals

After learning pitching staff, Wieters now addressing his swing

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Matt Wieters sees the batting average on the scoreboard in right-center field. On Saturday afternoon, it read ".100" and that's hard to ignore. Wieters also recognizes his top priority in his first month with the Nationals hasn't involved his bat, but rather the connection he has attempted to make with every pitcher he'll be catching throughout the season. "Getting comfortable with the staff, this spring training, was most important for me," he said. "The...

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Strong return for Roark and Murphy; Nats make five cuts

March 25, 2017, 1:52pm

Nationals

Strong return for Roark and Murphy; Nats make five cuts

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Dusty Baker didn't know what he could reasonably expect today from Tanner Roark, considering the right-hander hadn't pitched in Nationals uniform since March 10 and didn't get regular work while away from camp during the World Baseball Classic. Suffice it to say Baker was more than pleased with what he wound up seeing from Roark: 5 1/3 innings of one-run, three-hit ball in a much sharper-than-expected performance given the circumstances. "That's a tribute to...

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Roark, Murphy sharp in first game back (Nats win 4-1)

March 25, 2017, 11:10am

Nationals

Roark, Murphy sharp in first game back (Nats win 4-1)

NATIONALS QUICK WRAP Score: Nationals 4, Astros 1 Recap: In his first start since returning from the World Baseball Classic, Tanner Roark was exceptionally sharp. The right-hander carried a shutout into the sixth inning before allowing back-to-back hits and departing with one run across the plate, having thrown 71 pitches. Daniel Murphy, his Team USA mate, went 2-for-4 with an RBI double in his first game back from the WBC. Ryan Zimmerman had two hits, a stolen base and a nifty move to elude a...

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Nats have picked a closer, but haven't told him yet

March 25, 2017, 8:54am

Nationals

Nats have picked a closer, but haven't told him yet

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Nationals appear to have decided on their closer to open the season. They just haven't informed the winner of that spring training competition, so his identity will remain anonymous for now. "We've kind of settled on a guy," manager Dusty Baker said. "But we've got to tell the guy first." The most significant and intriguing battle of the spring hasn't proven particularly dramatic. Each of the candidates - Shawn Kelley, Blake Treinen, Koda Glover - has pitched...