WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Nationals further trimmed their spring training roster with four cuts before today’s game, but they’re holding off on their toughest decisions for now.

Today’s moves – second baseman Darren Baker was optioned to Triple-A Rochester, with outfielder Daylen Lile, first baseman Yohandy Morales and infielder Cayden Wallace reassigned to minor league camp – weren’t unexpected. Baker is the only one of the group with any major league experience, and none was a serious threat to make the Opening Day roster.

The Nationals still have 41 healthy players in big league camp, so there are 15 more cuts that must take place in the next 10 days. The toughest calls that are likely to go down to the wire:

* Riley Adams, Drew Millas or non-roster invite Andrew Knizner for the backup catcher’s job.

* José Tena, Juan Yepez, Nasim Nuñez, Trey Lipscomb, Robert Hassell III, Andrew Pinckney or Brady House for the final spot on the bench, with the first three the true candidates at this point and the others needing more seasoning in the minors.

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. – Alex Clemmey is only 19. He has one year of professional experience. He has yet to reach high Single-A. He’s spent his first spring training in the Nationals organization pitching on the back fields in front of a smattering of onlookers.

So while the environment inside CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches Sunday evening was hardly the equivalent of a major league ballpark – or even a Triple-A park on fireworks night, for that matter – the Spring Breakout game still did represent a big step up for the young left-hander.

How did Clemmey handle his starting assignment for the Nats’ team of top prospects against their counterparts from the Mets?

“Just stayed as calm and poised as possible, go out there compete and have fun,” he said. “That’s what I did.”

He did it quite well. Over the course of three sharp innings during an eventual 5-1 loss, Clemmey struck out six batters with an impressive 1-2 punch: a 97-mph fastball and a high-80s slider that accounted for three of the strikeouts.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The frustration was palpable in Michael Soroka’s body language and in his words. This may have been one spring training start from a veteran with a guaranteed spot in the Nationals’ Opening Day rotation, but it wasn’t at all what Soroka had in mind when he took the mound this afternoon.

“I just couldn’t make an adjustment,” the right-hander said after four laborious innings during an 11-5 loss to the Rays. “I didn’t make it early enough. I didn’t find it until it was too late. That’s unacceptable.”

Soroka’s nightmare afternoon started from the get-go. He walked the first three batters he faced, the last of them on four pitches to warrant a mound visit from pitching coach Jim Hickey.

He managed to right his ship enough to get out of the inning with two runs across, but the struggles continued throughout his outing. He finished with six walks surrendered, a far cry from the one free pass he issued in his previous two Grapefruit League starts combined.

The problem: Mechanics. Soroka knew he was off, but he simply couldn’t figure out how to get his body and arm back on track as the start progressed. That, more than anything, is what bothered him.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – There’s another game to play this afternoon. After the Nationals' and Rays’ big leaguers met in an official Grapefruit League contest, the Nats' and Mets’ top prospects now meet in this year’s Spring Breakout game. (OK, the Nationals already played a breakout game Friday against the Astros, but I was with the major league club in North Port that day, so it doesn’t count.)

Because a lot of Nats top prospects are already in big league camp, the breakout roster features some younger kids and some lesser-known names. But there’s still plenty to be interested in. Seaver King, the 2024 first-round pick, is leading off and playing shortstop. Elijah Green, the 2022 first-round pick, is batting third and starting in center field. Caleb Lomavita, the 2024 sandwich pick acquired in the Hunter Harvey trade, is batting fifth and catching.

On the mound, it’s Alex Clemmey, the promising young lefty acquired last summer from the Guardians in the Lane Thomas trade. Clemmey is only 19, and he has yet to pitch above low Single-A Fredericksburg, but he’s got a live arm and has impressed club officials since joining the organization.

You can watch today’s breakout game on MASN, so be sure to check it out and get perhaps your first look at the Nationals of the future.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS PROSPECTS vs. NEW YORK METS PROSPECTS
Where: CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach
Gametime: 5:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.yv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Slight chance of storms, 83 degrees, wind 19 mph out to left field

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Shinnosuke Ogasawara will get one last shot to face major league hitters in a spring training before the Nationals make a final decision on the identity of their No. 5 starter to begin the season.

Ogasawara, who has struggled to date in his first camp since signing with the Nats from Japan, was moved to a back field to start a minor league game Saturday while Mitchell Parker took the mound inside CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches to face the Mets.

Parker proceeded to put together his second straight solid outing, allowing one run over five innings despite four walks on 76 pitches. Ogasawara, meanwhile, threw 53 pitches over five innings in the minor league game, with club officials noting progress from the left-hander compared to his four Grapefruit League starts.

With only one week left before the team heads north, there’s only one start day left for both Parker and Ogasawara in Florida. Though Parker seems to have taken the lead in the competition, the Nationals will give Thursday’s start against the Mets to Ogasawara and have Parker face minor leaguers this time.

“Shinno threw over there, got some good work in, so we wanted to see him pitch in a big league game,” manager Davey Martinez said. “And Parker pitched really well. He’s going to go down there, and we’re going to try to stretch him into about 85 pitches. But we can control his workload.”

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.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Sure, a dominant performance would’ve been nicer and may have firmly locked up the fifth starter’s job for Mitchell Parker.

But in some ways, the outing Parker did actually produce tonight might have been more valuable for the Nationals left-hander, who still made his case for the last spot in the Opening Day rotation thanks to his ability not to let a potentially disastrous third inning get out of hand.

“What I like is, he had to pitch in some high leverage situations,” manager Davey Martinez said. “And he was able to make some really good pitches and get out of it, which is just awesome.”

Parker went five innings overall during a 4-1 victory over the Mets, allowing one run on two hits while walking four. He got his pitch count up to 76, only 42 of them strikes.

It was the top of the third, though, that defined his evening. He put four men on base during the frame, three via walk. But he got out of the jam with only one run crossing the plate, and that came via a ground ball to third that still produced an out.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Andrés Chaparro will open the season on the injured list after an MRI today revealed a left oblique strain for the Nationals first baseman/designated hitter.

Chaparro was taking batting practice Friday prior to the Nats’ game against the Braves in North Port when he felt a “jab” in his side on one swing. He immediately left the field with a trainer and was scratched from the lineup.

Chaparro said he’s made some progress over the last 24 hours, but he’s still in some discomfort and was just hoping this afternoon the MRI results didn’t show a significant injury.

“It’s kind of a pulsing thing on my side,” he said, via interpreter Kenny Diaz. “It’s almost like you feel a constant pain that keeps coming and going, just throbbing. I feel a little better than I did yesterday. I’m just working with the trainers and seeing what the recovery looks like.”

Manager Davey Martinez revealed after the game the MRI results, which showed a strain of the left oblique muscle. There's no firm timetable for his return, but Martinez acknowledged Chaparro won't be ready for Opening Day.

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. – Alex Call believes in himself. Just as any professional athlete does, but maybe ratcheted up just a little extra. It’s what you have to do when you’re an undersized, non-first-round pick from Ball State who has had to earn his way onto every roster he’s ever played on.

“Bottom line, I think I’m a good player and I think I’m capable of putting up good numbers,” he said, “no matter if it’s spring training or during the season.”

Call consistently puts up good-to-great numbers in spring training. He’s played in 83 official Grapefruit or Cactus League games since 2017 with the White Sox, Guardians and now Nationals. His total offensive numbers: a .333/.456/.475 slash line, not to mention way more walks (32) than strikeouts (23).

And he’s up to his old tricks this spring, going 7-for-21 with four doubles, six RBIs and a ridiculous 10-to-1 walk-to-strikeout ratio.

If it feels like Call treats these exhibition games like they’re regular season games, he does.

NORTH PORT, Fla. – Major leaguers usually have to learn how to hit the ball the other way. Some never figure it out and develop reputations as dead-pull hitters.

James Wood has already established his ability to crush the ball to the opposite field in a manner few hitters of any age can. Now the Nationals' young star is learning how to pull it, fully completing his offensive game.

And it was all on display the last two days. After launching a first-inning homer to left Thursday against the Rays, Wood pulled a pair of doubles this afternoon during the Nats’ 5-3 exhibition win over the Braves.

“That’s good,” manager Davey Martinez said. “He’s getting ready in time. He’s not really trying to do a whole lot, which is awesome. His hands, he’s staying through the zone a really long time. To see him turn on balls like that, knowing he can do that, it was great.”

Wood’s homer Thursday came on the first pitch he saw from Tampa Bay’s Shane Baz. His first double today came on the first pitch he saw from Atlanta’s Spencer Schwellenbach, and he drove it to deep right-center, the ball caroming off the wall at CoolToday Park.

NORTH PORT, Fla. – Injuries are the last thing any player wants to experience at this stage of spring training, all the more so for any player battling for a spot on the Opening Day roster.

So when Andrés Chaparro had to be scratched from today’s lineup after experiencing some kind of discomfort during batting practice, the competition for the final spot on the Nationals’ bench may have had a wrench thrown into it.

Chaparro was set to bat fifth and start at first base for the Nats against the Braves, an opportunity for him to continue his torrid spring at the plate and further his case for that spot on the Opening Day roster. The 25-year-old is batting a robust .400 (12-for-30) with two doubles, a homer and five RBIs, though he has also run into several outs on the bases, much to the chagrin of the coaching staff.

Juan Yepez, who is also in the mix for that “26th man” job, will now start at first base in Chaparro’s place, with Stone Garrett taking over his spot in the lineup and serving as designated hitter.

Chaparro and Yepez have a similar player profile, with Yepez having an advantage because of his defensive versatility but a disadvantage because of his lower numbers this spring (6-for-27, one double). Also competing for the job are José Tena (who can play third base, shortstop and second base) and Nasim Nuñez (who excels in the field and on the bases and is batting .458 this spring).

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.

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. – CJ Abrams’ quads appear to be just fine, thank you very much. And the young trio atop the Nationals lineup appears to be primed for some big things this season if Thursday’s performance was a sign of things to come.

With Abrams back playing one day after departing in the first inning with bilateral quadriceps cramps, manager Davey Martinez was able to field his preferred 1-2-3 atop his batting order against the Rays, with Abrams leading off, Dylan Crews batting second and James Wood third.

That trio got the game off to a picture-perfect start: Abrams led off with a single to center, Crews followed with a single to right-center that advanced his teammate to third base and then Wood drove everyone and himself in with a three-run homer to left off Tampa Bay starter Shane Baz.

“With James, we talk about guys on base. I want him to be the guy that drives in runs,” Martinez said. “He jumped on a pitch there right away and hit it a long way.”

Wood is a noted patient hitter, with a keen eye at the plate for such a young player. But the reason Martinez has him batting third in this lineup is precisely for scenarios like Thursday’s opening frame, when he was able to use his tremendous opposite-field power to put a big number on the board with one swing of the bat.

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. – The fifth starter competition in Nationals camp has been less a spirited battle and more a war of attrition. One that may leave Mitchell Parker as the last man standing when the team heads north in 10 days.

DJ Herz seemingly had an opportunity to make a case for himself this afternoon against the Rays, but it turns out the Nats planned all along to limit the young left-hander to no more than 60 pitches in response to his diminished velocity this spring.

So, Herz was pulled after three innings and 56 pitches (only 30 of them strikes). He allowed just one run, via a towering homer by Brandon Lowe, but he also surrendered a double and issued two walks while striking out just one batter during an eventual 14-4 drubbing by Tampa Bay. All this while throwing a fastball that topped out at 91 mph. (He averaged 93.5 mph last season.)

“We just battled, just found a way to get outs,” he said. “It might not have been the most efficient, but we found a way to get outs. I think we had planned already it was going to be 60 (pitches); we just cut it.”

One of the brightest spots of the 2024 season after making 19 starts, several of them among the best outings anyone on the team had, Herz has looked less than impressive this spring. Over 9 2/3 total innings, he has allowed nine runs (seven earned) on 10 hits, walking nine while striking out only four.

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. – CJ Abrams is back in the Nationals lineup, with no apparent lingering concerns after departing Wednesday’s game in the first inning.

Abrams is leading off and starting at shortstop for this afternoon’s game against the Rays, the first leg of a rare overnight spring training trip for the Nats, who brought most of their regulars for these games in Port Charlotte and North Port (home of the Braves).

The 2024 All-Star led off the bottom of the first Wednesday with a triple into the right field corner, but departed two batters later with cramps in both of his quadriceps muscles. Manager Davey Martinez said at the time he wasn’t overly concerned and that Abrams would be making the road trip regardless.

Sure enough, he’s here and back in his usual role today, provided he makes it through pregame drills with no issues.

“He’s going to do everything and see how it goes,” Martinez said. “But he said he feels fine.”

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

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The conversation happened a few weeks ago and was the type of conversation that doesn’t always go over well with the player involved.

The Nationals used their first round pick in 2019 on Jackson Rutledge because they believed he could be a frontline starting pitcher for them for a long time. Now, nearly six years later, they were telling the right-hander they wanted to convert him into a reliever, a tacit acknowledgement the original plan never came to fruition.

So, how did Rutledge take that news from manager Davey Martinez earlier this spring?

“I’m here to just help the team win,” he said. “Obviously, we’ve signed a few guys since that conversation, but it’s kind of like, we need bullpen arms. They’re really important to winning games, a lot of times even more important sometimes than a starter. I feel like if I can be a guy that keeps us in a lot of games, can pitch long innings, pitch short innings, whatever it may be, I feel like I can help the team get a bunch of wins this year.”

So it was that Rutledge officially made the transition from a guy who tries to throw as many innings as possible every five days to a guy who tries to throw one or two innings at a time every two or three days.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The sight of CJ Abrams racing around the bases for a leadoff triple in the bottom of the first today was a beautiful thing for the Nationals. The sight of the All-Star shortstop walking off the field and seeking out a trainer two batters later was the last thing anyone wanted to see.

By all accounts, it doesn’t appear to be anything serious. Abrams said both of his quadriceps muscles cramped up during the leadoff triple, according to manager Davey Martinez, who suggested he had no reason to be concerned following a 9-3 exhibition victory over the Astros.

“I didn’t want to take any chances,” Martinez said. “He came in and got treatment. I haven’t seen (director of athletic training Paul Lessard) yet, but I’ll check up on him. He should be OK. They said they did some tests, and it was fine. He just cramped up.”

Abrams looked good on his 270-foot trek around the bases after he ripped a pitch from Astros left-hander Brandon Walter down the right field line to open the bottom of the first, coasting into third with ease. He remained there as Dylan Crews grounded out to the mound and as James Wood struck out for the inning’s second out.

It was after that strikeout that Abrams could be seen hunching over, dealing with some kind of discomfort. Martinez signaled from the dugout for Abrams to come out of the game, and he walked all the way back, greeted at the steps by Lessard.