Despite some initial hopes he’d be ready to return tonight, Jacob Young won’t be in the lineup for the Nationals’ series opener against the Braves.

Davey Martinez had penciled Young into his lineup, three days after the center fielder slammed into the wall at Camden Yards trying to make a catch and injured his left shoulder. But that was contingent upon Young making it through afternoon workouts with no issues, and it turns out there was one issue.

“He said he couldn’t finish his swing,” Martinez said. “We’ll give him another day, see how he does. But he can do everything else.”

Young tried to take swings in the cage this afternoon but still felt his shoulder on his follow-through, unable to fully extend his left arm as far as he would need to after making contact. While that’s enough of a problem to keep him from playing tonight, the Nats don’t believe it’s significant enough to have any longer-term concerns.

“I think he’ll be OK,” Martinez said. “He said he’s way better today than he was yesterday and the day before. So we’ll give him a day, see how he feels.”

Why include Young in the day’s preliminary lineup if there was still some question about his availability?

“Cause I wanted him to tell me that he couldn’t do it,” Martinez said. “The other day, he was all: ‘I feel good.’ But he hit the wall pretty hard.”

With Young sitting, Dylan Crews again shifts to center field and Alex Call comes off the bench to start in right field.

* Orlando Ribalta faced live hitters in a simulated game today for the second time in a week and appears ready to begin a minor league rehab assignment.

Ribalta, out since April 10 with a right biceps strain, threw 20 pitches to a group of hitters that included Riley Adams and Nasim Nuñez.

If Ribalta feels fine Wednesday, the Nationals will send him out on a rehab assignment with one of their affiliates. The right-hander will need to get some game action before he’s activated and rejoins the major league bullpen.

* Mason Thompson faced live hitters in West Palm Beach, a significant step for the right-hander in his return from Tommy John surgery.

Thompson, who had the second elbow ligament replacement of his career in March 2024, should be close to beginning a formal rehab assignment, raising the possibility he could join the Nats’ bullpen within a month or so.