PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. – It’s the penultimate day of spring training, which is really just an excuse to use the word penultimate. The Nationals finalized their Opening Day rotation and narrowed down the list of remaining candidates for backup catcher and 26th man on the bench Friday, but there are still a few more things to do. Chief among them: Finalize the bullpen, which for now still has 10 candidates for eight spots.

Today sees the Nats head north to face the Mets for the final road game of the spring. And it sees MacKenzie Gore take the mound for his final tune-up before his first career Opening Day start five days from now against the Phillies. Gore reached the 90-pitch mark in his last outing, and the plan actually is to dial him back today, conserving pitches and energy for the regular season.

Today’s lineup has some different looks. James Wood will lead off, with CJ Abrams and Dylan Crews staying back in West Palm Beach. Paul DeJong will play shortstop for the first time this spring, just a chance to remind him how things look at that position in case he’s needed there in an emergency during the season. And the two guys battling for the last spot on the bench (José Tena, Juan Yepez) are both starting, hoping to do something big that could lock up the job.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. NEW YORK METS
Where: Clover Park, Port St. Lucie
Gametime: 1:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MLB.tv (Mets’ feed)
Radio: None
Weather: Sunny, 73 degrees, wind 5 mph in from right field

NATIONALS
LF James Wood
DH Amed Rosario
2B Luis García Jr.
SS Paul DeJong
C Keibert Ruiz
RF Alex Call
1B Juan Yepez
3B José Tena
CF Jacob Young

SARASOTA, Fla. – Gunnar Henderson remains out of the lineup tonight against the Tigers at Ed Smith Stadium. He’s taking live batting practice Saturday against pitchers on one of the back fields.

Henderson hasn’t played since Feb. 27 and seems unlikely to be ready for Opening Day, but the Orioles are keeping the door cracked.

Grayson Rodriguez played catch again today and “it went well,” according to manager Brandon Hyde.

Emmanuel Rivera remains out due to a sore left shoulder. Chayce McDermott will have a light bullpen session on Saturday. Trevor Rogers is playing catch but is "a long way away," Hyde said.

Closer Félix Bautista is pitching tonight in the last home exhibition game.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – There’s a bit of a chill in the air here in South Florida. OK, maybe not the kind of chill all of you back home have dealt with the last six weeks, but just enough to make this feel a little more like the kind of springtime weather we’re all going to experience soon enough when the season begins.

The Nationals play their third-to-last Grapefruit League game this evening, hosting the Marlins. All of the contenders for spots in the rotation have run out of time to make their cases, so these remaining starts will all go to guys guaranteed to make the team. That includes Michael Soroka, who tonight will look to bounce back from his first (and only) shaky start of the spring.

The rotation question may have resolved itself at this point, but there are still several other jobs up for grabs during these final days. So these remain important games for the backup catchers, potential bench players and the relievers fighting for the two open slots on the Opening Day roster.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. MIAMI MARLINS
Where: CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach
Gametime: 6:05 p.m. EDT
TV: None
Radio: MLB.com (Marlins’ feed)
Weather: Clear, 66 degrees, wind 12 mph in from left field

NATIONALS
SS CJ Abrams
RF Dylan Crews
LF James Wood
DH Josh Bell
1B Nathaniel Lowe
2B Amed Rosario
3B José Tena
C Riley Adams
CF Jacob Young

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – We’ve got quite a matchup tonight at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, not just for fans in Washington and New York, but also in Japan. The stars aligned perfectly to give us a head-to-head pitching showdown between Shinnosuke Ogasawara and Kodai Senga.

These two guys are in very different situations. Senga has already established himself for the Mets but is now trying to bounce back from an injury-plagued 2024 season. Ogasawara is still trying to earn himself a spot in the Nationals’ Opening Day rotation. He faces an uphill climb, given his struggles this spring and Mitchell Parker’s superior performance.

But the lefty gets one more shot tonight to make his case, and he’ll have to do it against a pretty fearsome lineup. Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto and Pete Alonso are batting 1-2-3 for New York. One way or another, we’re going to find out what Ogasawara is made of tonight. (In an extra twist, the Nats are calling up Elian Soto, Juan’s little brother, from minor league camp for this game. He’s not guaranteed to play, but the mere fact the 19-year-old will be in his No. 22 uniform against his brother is pretty cool.)

The Nationals lineup has almost every regular playing tonight. Only Nathaniel Lowe is sitting, which opens up first base for Josh Bell and the DH slot for James Wood. That allows Alex Call to get a start in left field.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. NEW YORK METS
Where: CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach
Gametime: 6:05 p.m. EDT
TV: None
Radio: None
Weather: Clear, 83 degrees, wind 16 mph out to right field

JUPITER, Fla. – The finish line keeps inching closer. The Nationals have only five more games to play down here in Florida, then one final exhibition Monday in D.C. Which means we’re starting to see the regulars play more regularly, not to mention play more innings per game.

Most of the starters are in today’s lineup against the Cardinals, with only CJ Abrams, Luis García Jr. and Keibert Ruiz getting the day off. That will give Dylan Crews a chance to lead off. Davey Martinez is also trying out Josh Bell in the No. 3 spot in front of Nathaniel Lowe. That’s an arrangement he said we could see sometimes this season against lefties, which explains why we’re seeing it today against St. Louis veteran Steven Matz.

Jake Irvin gets the ball for his fifth start of the spring, and as was the case last year the right-hander has been outstanding down here. Irvin sports a 0.84 ERA and 1.125 WHIP over 10 2/3 innings, though strangely he has walked six while striking out only five. Look for him to try to reach the sixth inning today, provided he can keep his pitch count below triple digits.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
Where: Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, Jupiter
Gametime: 1:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: MLB.com (Cardinals’ feed)
Weather: Clear, 73 degrees, wind 14 mph in from left field

NATIONALS
RF Dylan Crews
LF James Wood
DH Josh Bell
1B Nathaniel Lowe
3B Paul DeJong
2B José Tena
CF Jacob Young
SS Nasim Nuñez
C Andrew Knizner

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Spring training is usually held in the mornings and afternoons, but the Nationals are about to experience a bunch of baseball under the lights during this final week of camp. Three of their next four games are night games, beginning this evening against the Astros at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches.

The lineup includes several regulars, but it also includes several projected members of the Opening Day bench, who need to get used to their upcoming roles as well. Some of those roles are varied, and that’s true for Amed Rosario, who primarily will be the backup infielder this season but also has the ability to play the outfield. With that in mind, the veteran is starting in left field tonight.

Trevor Williams, meanwhile, gets the start for the Nats. The veteran right-hander is assured a spot in the Opening Day rotation, and tonight he’ll get a good test against a Houston lineup that features Jose Altuve (starting in left field himself) in the leadoff position.

You can watch this one live on MASN, so be sure to tune in at 6 p.m.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. HOUSTON ASTROS
Where: CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach
Gametime: 6:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 980 AM, MLB.com
Weather: Clear, 73 degrees, wind 14 mph in from left field

SARASOTA, Fla. – The Orioles made seven more camp cuts this afternoon, the most notable catcher Samuel Basallo and corner infielder Coby Mayo, the top two prospects in the organization.

Mayo was optioned to the minor league side in Twin Lakes Park. Basallo, outfielder Daz Cameron, infielder/outfielder Nick Gordon and pitchers Corbin Martin, Levi Stoudt and Thaddeus Ward were reassigned.

Forty-one players remain in camp, including six non-roster invitees.

Charlie Morton was supposed to make his fourth spring start tonight after tossing six scoreless innings, but left-hander Cade Povich has replaced him.

Morton is fine. The Orioles have him throwing on a back field, where he can get six ups. He's expected to pitch in Sunday's Grapefruit League finale against the Braves in North Port, which lines him up to be the No. 2 starter.

FORT MYERS, Fla. – The Orioles are keeping their everyday players back in Sarasota today for a morning workout and a break, with backups and minor leaguers facing the Red Sox at JetBlue Park.

Samuel Basallo is playing first base and Coby Mayo is at third. Gary Sáchez is catching.

Dylan Beavers is in left field and Enrique Bradfield Jr. is in center.

Ramón Urías (left hamstring) and Emmanuel Rivera (left shoulder) remain out of the lineup. Urías hasn’t played since Wednesday and Rivera since Thursday, but their returns are coming soon.

Right-hander Roansy Contreras is starting for the Orioles. He’s made four relief appearances and allowed five runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings. He’s also surrendered three home runs.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – We are 10 days away from Opening Day. And we perhaps are looking at the Nationals’ Opening Day lineup today.

Maybe the order will be a little different, with Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Bell maybe switching places, but these are almost certainly the nine guys who will take the field March 27 against the Phillies. It’s not a perfect lineup, by any stretch. But on paper it sure looks a lot more fearsome and a lot deeper than it typically did last season, right?

We also know that the guy on the mound this afternoon will be the guy on the mound for Game 1. Davey Martinez officially named MacKenzie Gore his Opening Day starter this morning. It’s not a huge surprise, but it is a significant development for the young lefty, who is now being tasked with leading the staff (ideally for years to come).

In a twist of fate, the Nationals today will be facing a former member of their staff: Erick Fedde. The now-veteran right-hander has been on quite a journey the last few years, from D.C. to South Korea to the South Side of Chicago and now to St. Louis. He’s one of the Cardinals’ most trusted starters at this point, quite the development in his career timeline.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
Where: CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach
Gametime: 1:05 p.m. EDT
TV: None
Radio: Nationals.com, MLB.com
Weather: Sunny, 72 degrees, wind 17 mph left field to right field

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – It’s going to be a long day at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, where the Nationals play twice. Later this afternoon (5:05 p.m., to be precise), the organization’s top prospects take on the Mets’ top prospects in the Spring Breakout game (televised live on MASN). But first up, it’s the regular Grapefruit League game of the day, this one against a split-squad group from the Rays.

Michael Soroka gets the start, and it’s only the third time he’s officially pitched this spring. He has also, for the record, twice thrown to live hitters on a back field or in the cage, so his arm is built up just as it normally would be at this point in the spring. The right-hander has looked good wherever he’s pitched, allowing just one run on four hits, striking out nine while walking only one over seven official innings.

Davey Martinez has many of his regulars in the lineup, including the fearsome threesome of CJ Abrams, Dylan Crews and James Wood atop the order. Nathaniel Lowe is batting cleanup while his brother, Josh, bats third for the visiting Rays.

Kyle Finnegan and Derek Law are also scheduled to pitch out of the bullpen this afternoon for the Nats, the primary relievers starting to get more regular work as the final week of camp arrives. This will be Law's long awaited spring debut.

UPDATE: Lineup change for the Nats, with Andrew Knizner now catching in place of Riley Adams, who was scratched about 90 minutes before first pitch.

SARASOTA, Fla. – Jorge Mateo is making his spring debut this afternoon by starting at shortstop against the Phillies in a split-squad game at Ed Smith Stadium.

Mateo has recovered from late-August reconstructive surgery on his left elbow. He’s engaged in full baseball activities and waited for clearance to play.

Today, it happens.

Gunnar Henderson remains out of the lineup with a strained right intercostal and his status is questionable for Opening Day. Mateo could be the replacement if Henderson goes on the injured list, but manager Brandon Hyde said a few days ago that it was "pretty doubtful" Mateo would be ready due to a lack of at-bats.

Mateo is batting seventh. Jordan Westburg is leading off and playing third base.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Nationals are back on their own side of the state after a two-day jaunt to the Gulf Coast. And they’ll stay here until the end of camp, with every remaining game either in West Palm Beach, Jupiter or Port St. Lucie.

Tonight, it’s the Mets coming to town, and they brought some of the big names with them. Yes, Juan Soto made the trip and will bat second tonight against his former team. Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo and Jesse Winker are also here, presenting a nice challenge for Mitchell Parker.

Parker seems to have inched ahead in the race for the fifth starter’s job, based mostly on one solid outing Monday (and the struggles of DJ Herz and Shinnosuke Ogasawara) against the Marlins. He’s guaranteed of nothing at this point, but another solid start tonight (especially against that lineup) could help solidify his case.

The guys who played the last two days in Port Charlotte and North Port get tonight off, so the primary names in the lineup are Nathaniel Lowe, Josh Bell, Paul DeJong and Keibert Ruiz. They’ll face Clay Holmes, the former Yankees reliever who recently was named the Mets’ Opening Day starter.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. NEW YORK METS
Where: CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches
Gametime: 6:05 p.m. EDT
TV: None
Radio: None
Weather: Mostly clear, 79 degrees, wind 17 mph right field to left field

NORTH PORT, Fla. – Hello, for the first time ever, from CoolToday Park, home of the Braves. It’s the first time the Nationals have ever played here, and it’s the first time your humble beat writer has ever been here, which officially completes my lifetime Grapefruit League circuit. I’ve now been to every active spring training site in Florida at least once. What do I win?

The Nats spent the night in a nearby hotel after playing the Rays in Port Charlotte on Thursday. So it’s the same roster of guys here to face Atlanta. They brought a bunch of backups, though, so it’s not the exact same starting lineup.

On the pitching side, this is going to be a bullpen game. It’s Jake Irvin’s day to throw, but he stayed back in West Palm Beach and is facing hitters on a back field. So it’s going to be a parade of relievers this afternoon, starting with a guy who used to be a starter but we recently learned has become a reliever: Jackson Rutledge. The 2019 first round pick faces a formidable lineup, with most of the Braves regulars playing.

If you’ve seen the schedule, you’ve also seen that the Nats are playing a “Spring Breakout” game today in West Palm Beach. That’s the leaguewide showcase for top prospects. Obviously, I can’t be there and here at the same time, so I won’t have any coverage of that game. The good news: They play another breakout game Sunday, and I will be there for that one.

Update: Andrés Chaparro was scratched from the lineup after apparently feeling something wrong during batting practice. Juan Yepez will now play first base, with Stone Garrett now in the lineup as designated hitter.

DUNEDIN, Fla. – The Orioles brought reserves and minor leaguers to TD Ballpark for today's game against the Blue Jays.

Ramón Laureano is leading off and playing center field. Dylan Carlson follows in right field and Coby Mayo is batting cleanup as the designated hitter.

Other players on the trip include Nick Gordon in left field, Emmanuel Rivera at first base, Vimael Machín at third base, Livan Soto at second and Luis Vazquez at shortstop.

Maverick Handley is catching left-hander Cade Povich, who threw four innings on a back field the last time that he faced hitters.

Povich has made two starts and tossed five scoreless innings with one hit and seven strikeouts.

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. – Hello from the Gulf Coast of Florida, the opposite side of the state from where you usually hear from us. The Nationals are making a rare overnight spring training trip, with back-to-back games against the Rays here in Port Charlotte and then the Braves in nearby North Port. Most of the regulars have made the trip and will play in both games before heading back to West Palm Beach on Friday night.

DJ Herz takes the mound for what is arguably an important start for the young lefty. With the race for the fifth starter’s job still wide open, Davey Martinez and Mike Rizzo are just waiting for somebody to step in and seize it. Mitchell Parker made his case with a strong start Monday against the Marlins. Herz now gets his chance to make his own case this afternoon against Tampa Bay.

The Nats lineup includes the starting outfield trio of Alex Call, Jacob Young and Dylan Crews, with James Wood serving as the designated hitter. Luis García Jr. is starting at second base. And CJ Abrams is leading off and starting at shortstop after coming out of Wednesday’s game in the first inning with cramps in both quad muscles.  

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. TAMPA BAY RAYS
Where: Charlotte Sports Park, Port Charlotte, Fla.
Gametime: 1:05 p.m. EDT
TV: None
Radio: MLB.com (Rays’ feed)
Weather: Sunny, 77 degrees, wind 11 mph out to center field

NATIONALS
SS CJ Abrams
RF Dylan Crews
DH James Wood
3B Paul DeJong
2B Luis García Jr.
LF Alex Call
1B Juan Yepez
CF Jacob Young
C Andrew Knizner

SARASOTA, Fla. – Reliever Andrew Kittredge is walking around the Orioles clubhouse without crutches or a brace on his surgically repaired left knee. A black sleeve is the only evidence that something is different.

Kittredge underwent an arthroscopic debridement procedure Friday to repair cartilage in the knee, with Dr. Leigh Ann Curl handling the procedure in Baltimore. He could miss most or all of the first half.

“Not really sure,” he said this morning while sitting at his locker. “It was a broad timeline, I guess. According to the doctor, the real thing that kind of drives the timeline is if the swelling can go down and so far I haven’t had much swelling, so I think that’s really encouraging on that front.

“I know the original timeline was kind of June to All-Star break, so it was kind of broad in that sense, but everything so far is leading to believe that it will be on the earlier side of that. But it’s a little more probably on the trainers and how it’s going as it unfolds, I guess.”

Kittredge said he’s never experienced any issues with his knees, and this year marks his ninth in the majors and 15^th in professional ball. The discomfort became noticeable around the time of the live batting practice sessions.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Nationals embark on a rare spring training road trip Thursday, with back-to-back games on the other side of the state. But first up is one more home game, this one against their fellow tenants at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches.

MacKenzie Gore makes what’s actually only his second official start of the spring. The left-hander has still been getting his full workload in, throwing on back fields and in simulated games due to scheduling and the need to get other guys innings in real games. He’s good to go up to five innings or 80 pitches today, per Davey Martinez. And though nothing has officially been said yet, Gore remains on a schedule that lines up with Opening Day.

We’ll see plenty of regulars in the lineup as well, with CJ Abrams, Dylan Crews and James Wood again batting 1-2-3 against Astros left-hander Brandon Walter. Among the potential relievers on today’s list are Jose A. Ferrer, Colin Poche and Eduardo Salazar.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. HOUSTON ASTROS
Where: CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach
Gametime: 1:05 p.m. EDT
TV: None
Radio: MLB.com (Astros’ feed)
Weather: Sunny, 77 degrees, wind 5 mph in from right field

NATIONALS
SS CJ Abrams
RF Dylan Crews
LF James Wood
1B Nathaniel Lowe
DH Josh Bell
3B Paul DeJong
C Keibert Ruiz
2B Amed Rosario
CF Jacob Young

TAMPA – Tyler O’Neill is playing left field and Coby Mayo is the third baseman for today’s game against the Yankees in Tampa.

Cedric Mullins is leading off. Adley Rutschman is catching. Colton Cowser is the designated hitter.

Ryan Mountcastle also made the trip.

With Gunnar Henderson out, Luis Vázquez gets another start at shortstop.

Albert Suárez makes his fourth appearance. He’s allowed eight runs and 13 hits in eight innings, but he held the Twins to one run in 3 2/3 in his last outing.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Who’s ready for some more baseball? The venues have switched, but the teams remain the same as the Nationals and Marlins play the second half of their day-night, split-squad doubleheader, this time at the friendly confines of CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches.

With Mitchell Parker having looked pretty sharp in today’s matinee, there’s some increased pressure on Shinnosuke Ogasawara to perform better tonight. The Japanese left-hander hasn’t blown anyone’s socks off so far in his first three spring training starts. At some point as we move into mid-March, results do start to matter.

The top of the lineup features the big boys, headlined by the enticing 1-2-3 of CJ Abrams, Dylan Crews and James Wood. Luis García Jr. and Jacob Young are also starting tonight against Marlins right-hander Cal Quantrill.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS (ss) vs. MIAMI MARLINS (ss)
Where: CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach
Gametime: 6:05 p.m. EDT
TV: None
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Rain ending, 73 degrees, wind 21 mph out to right field

NATIONALS
SS CJ Abrams
RF Dylan Crews
LF James Wood
DH Andrés Chaparro
2B Luis García Jr.
3B Amed Rosario
1B Juan Yepez
C Riley Adams
CF Jacob Young

JUPITER, Fla. – The Nationals are Marlins are going to see a lot of each other today. These two teams are playing a split-squad, day-night, two-city doubleheader. They’ll meet again tonight at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. First up, though, it’s a matinee at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.

Mitchell Parker finally gets to make his first start of the spring after pitching in relief up to this point. The left-hander needs to start building up his pitch count, and he needs to start making his case for the wide-open final spot in the Opening Day rotation. He can set the tone with a solid outing this afternoon, putting pressure on Shinnosuke Ogasawara (who starts the nightcap).

The Nationals who made the short trip to Jupiter for this one are going to have to face one of the best arms in the game in Sandy Alcantara. Best of luck to Nathaniel Lowe, Keibert Ruiz, Josh Bell, Paul DeJong and Co. as they try to get something going at the plate against the Marlins ace.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS (ss) vs. MIAMI MARLINS (ss)
Where: Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, Jupiter
Gametime: 1:10 p.m. EDT
TV: None
Radio: MLB.com (Marlins’ feed)
Weather: Chance of rain late, 85 degrees, wind 23 mph out to center field

NATIONALS
RF Alex Call
1B Nathaniel Lowe
C Keibert Ruiz
DH Josh Bell
3B Paul DeJong
CF Robert Hassell III
LF Daylen Lile
SS Nasim Nuñez
2B Trey Lipscomb