Game 119 lineups: Nats at Royals

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Nationals lost the opener of their series in San Francisco over the weekend before bouncing back to win the next two and leave town in good spirits. Can they do the same now in Kansas City after losing Monday night’s opener?

They’ll be asking Mitchell Parker to put forth a much better start than he did in either of his last two outings. The left-hander was roughed up by the Brewers and Athletics for a whopping 12 runs and 18 hits in only nine combined innings. In the process, the left-hander fell to 7-12 on the season with a 5.43 ERA that doesn’t look so hot right now. It’s fair to say Parker needs a strong finish to the season to make sure he’s still in the running for a rotation spot in 2026. If he keeps heading down this path, his case won’t look so great.

The Nationals lineup once again includes Paul DeJong in a prominent spot: batting cleanup and playing third base. DeJong’s two homers the last three days precipitated that, but it means Brady House is sitting for the second straight day, not ideal for one of the organization’s top prospects.

On the other hand, Robert Hassell III is back in the lineup, starting in center field alongside James Wood and Daylen Lile. That bumps Jacob Young to the bench against Royals right-hander Michael Wacha, though you have to assume Miguel Cairo would insert Young for defensive purposes late if the Nats hold a lead.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at KANSAS CITY ROYALS
Where: Kauffman Stadium
Gametime: 7:40 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 84 degrees, wind 7 mph left field to right field

NATIONALS
LF James Wood
SS CJ Abrams
DH Josh Bell
3B Paul DeJong
1B Nathaniel Lowe
C Riley Adams
RF Daylen Lile
2B Luis García Jr.
CF Robert Hassell III

LHP Mitchell Parker

ROYALS
3B Maikel Garcia
SS Bobby Witt Jr.
1B Vinnie Pasquantino
C Salvador Perez
RF Randal Grichuk
2B Jonathan India
DH Adam Frazier
LF Nick Loftin
CF Tyler Tolbert

RHP Michael Wacha