With the trade deadline just over 24 hours away, I wouldn’t blame you if you immediately scrolled down in search of three names in the Nationals lineup: Juan Soto, Josh Bell and Nelson Cruz.

Well, for now, all three are in Davey Martinez’s starting lineup. Keep an eye out for late scratches and in-game replacements. It’s that time of year.

Ehire Adrianza was the first trade chip to fall with today’s announcement that he was traded to the Braves in exchange for 26-year-old outfielder Trey Harris. The Nats seemed to be showcasing him with increased playing time lately, and he heads back to the Braves to provide utility help in their postseason run. Maikel Franco returns as the starting third baseman.

We can be almost certain that Patrick Corbin isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, so he’ll be ready to make his 22nd start of the season. At 4-14, the left-hander is looking to stay out of the loss column, as he is on pace to become the major leagues’ first 20-loss pitcher in two decades. He was charged with six runs on seven hits and a walk while only recording two outs in a loss to the Dodgers on Wednesday.

Corbin is 0-2 with a 6.08 ERA in three starts against the Mets this year.

Max Scherzer makes his second start against his former club tonight, both coming at Nationals Park. He gave up three runs and struck out six over six innings while earning the win in the second game of the season on April 8. Scherzer is 6-2 with a 2.09 ERA on the year, and 1-1 with a 1.39 ERA in his five starts since returning from a strained left oblique muscle that kept him sidelined in June.

The Nationals also are hoping to start August on a better note than they finished on during a 6-19 July, just “good” enough to avoid the worst month in club history.

NEW YORK METS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 7:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, MLB.com
Weather: Sunny, 85 degrees, wind 7 mph out to left-center field

NATIONALS
CF Victor Robles
2B César Hernández
RF Juan Soto
1B Josh Bell
LF Yadiel Hernandez
DH Nelson Cruz
SS Luis García
C Keibert Ruiz
3B Maikel Franco

LHP Patrick Corbin

METS
CF Brandon Nimmo
RF Starling Marte
SS Francisco Lindor
1B Pete Alonso
DH J.D. Davis
LF Mark Canha
3B Eduardo Escobar
2B Jeff McNeil
C Tomás Nido

RHP Max Scherzer

With a chance to win a second consecutive series over a National League contender, the Nationals instead today did what they’ve done so many times over the last four months. They dug themselves into a hole with shaky defense and a penchant for giving up a big home run. And they did next-to-nothing offensively to give themselves a chance at coming back from that deficit.

So it was the Nats went down quietly to the Cardinals this afternoon, losing 5-0 in the rubber game of the weekend series and ending a miserable July on another uninspired note.

Fortunately, Saturday night’s dramatic win ensured this would not be the worst month in club history. Even with today’s loss, the Nationals finished July with a 6-19 record for a .240 winning percentage, narrowly besting July 2008 (.208) and April 2009 (.238) as the lowest points this franchise has experienced since arriving in town.

Now, though, the calendar shifts to August, and there is legitimate reason to worry the two months that remain this season could rival the just-completed one in terms of misery.

The next 48 hours will help determine that fate, as general manager Mike Rizzo decides who from his current 26-man roster to deal and who to retain before Tuesday’s 6 p.m. trade deadline. Given how many potential moves are on the table, Rizzo may not have the luxury of waiting until Tuesday to start the process.

Victor Robles is out of the Nationals' lineup for today’s series finale against the Cardinals after his left hamstring cramped during the eighth inning of Saturday night’s 7-6 victory.

Robles hurt himself tracking down Brendan Donovan’s deep flyball to center field for the final out of the top of the eighth, a key play that maintained the Nats’ one-run lead after St. Louis loaded the bases earlier in the inning.

Due up third in the bottom of that inning, Robles was late to get to the plate and then quickly struck out, not looking comfortable in the process. Manager Davey Martinez then decided to remove him from the game, shifting Lane Thomas to center field and inserting utilityman Ehire Adrianza in left field for the top of the ninth.

“He’s OK,” Martinez said. “When I had to take him out of the game yesterday, I figured I’d give him a day (off) today. When he cramps up like that, it knots up pretty good. I talked to him last night and told him: ‘I’m just going to give you a day and get that right.’ ”

It was an eventful game for Robles, who hit his fourth homer of the season (his second in a week), made a diving catch in deep left-center field and also made an ill-advised throw only moments before he was injured.

For all the issues that surround them – and there are plenty – there is also this fact about the Nationals: They’ve won four of their last six, and this afternoon they have an opportunity to win their second straight series over a bona fide contender. Yes, after winning two straight at Dodger Stadium to begin the week, they’ve now split the first two games of the weekend series against the Cardinals and will go for another curly W today.

It’s Josiah Gray on the mound, bumped up a day because of Erick Fedde’s injury but still on full rest. In his last start at Dodger Stadium, Gray gave up a leadoff homer to Mookie Betts, then cruised through the fourth before giving up a leadoff homer to Cody Bellinger during what became a two-run fifth. This will be his first start against the Cardinals.

The Nationals lineup is without Victor Robles, whose left hamstring cramped after making his last catch in the top of the eighth Saturday night. That’s why he was slow to get to the plate in the bottom of the eighth, why he looked so out of sorts during that at-bat and why Davey Martinez pulled him from the game for the top of the ninth.

ST LOUIS CARDINALS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 1:35 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Rain arriving, 86 degrees, wind 8 mph out to left field

NATIONALS
CF Lane Thomas
2B Cesar Hernandez
RF Juan Soto
1B Josh Bell
DH Nelson Cruz
LF Yadiel Hernandez
SS Luis Garcia
3B Ehire Adrianza
C Tres Barrera

The Washington Nationals recalled right-handed pitcher Cory Abbott from Triple-A Rochester and placed right-handed pitcher Erick Fedde on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to July 27) with right shoulder inflammation on Saturday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. 

Abbott, 26, joins the Nationals for the fourth time this season. He pitched in 10 games for Triple-A Rochester, making six starts. He is 0-4 with a 5.08 ERA and has struck out 34 batters in 28.1 innings for the Red Wings. Abbott has pitched in two games for the Nationals this season, both in relief. He allowed one run and struck out four in 3.0 innings. 

Abbott was claimed off waivers from the San Francisco Giants on May 4. He was acquired by the Giants from the Chicago Cubs on April 21 in exchange for cash considerations.

Selected in the second round of the 2017 First-Year Player Draft, Abbott made his Major League debut on June 5, 2021. He went on to appear in seven games (one start) for the Cubs in 2021, posting a 6.75 ERA across 17.1 innings pitched. Abbott is 21-25 with a 3.75 ERA and 10.8 strikeouts per 9.0 innings in 84 career Minor League games (80 starts).

Fedde, 29, is 5-7 with a 4.95 ERA in 19 starts this season.

The first reaction everyone had upon seeing Elijah Green on Friday was universal.

“Big kid,” Nationals manager Davey Martinez said.

“Obviously, he’s a big dude,” first baseman Josh Bell added.

The Nationals’ first-round draft pick indeed is big, certainly for his age. How many 6-foot-3, 225-pound 18-year-olds do you know? And then how many of them can put on a clinic in batting practice, then chase down everything hit his way in center field?

“For me, it’s not just one tool. It’s everything he can do,” Martinez said. “I watched a lot of video of him before we drafted him. He can run, he can hit, he can hit for power. His defense, it looks like his first step was really good. For me, it’s exciting to have a kid that has that many tools.”

As the ball went soaring over the right field wall and into the home bullpen at Nationals Park, it was impossible not to take stock of the situation and consider what it may have meant for the present and future of both franchises competing in tonight’s series opener.

The two-run homer was hit by Nolan Gorman, one of the Cardinals’ top young players and likely one of the key pieces the Nationals would be seeking should St. Louis attempt to trade for Juan Soto in the coming days.

Soto, of course, was in right field for the Nats tonight, racing back to the wall in vain hopes of catching an uncatchable ball. On the mound was Aníbal Sánchez, who had been one pitch away from authoring his first quality start in the majors in two years but instead wound up charged with six runs in what ultimately was a 6-2 loss.

"Tough one today," manager Davey Martinez said. "We could've made a couple plays defensively, didn't do it early. I thought Sánchez until that last inning kept us in the ballgame. And we had some opportunities to score some runs, we couldn't do it."

In the opener of a weeklong homestand that could include plenty of drama leading up to Tuesday’s trade deadline, the Nationals were again overmatched by a superior opponent. Their lineup was rendered helpless by Miles Mikolas who allowed two runs on six hits over seven innings. And their chances of keeping the game within striking distance were significantly diminished when Sánchez served up back-to-back homers with two outs in the sixth: the first to Gorman, then a follow-up blast to Lars Nootbaar.

For the fourth time in six games, Ehire Adrianza finds himself in the Nationals lineup tonight. And for the third time, he’s starting at third base in place of Maikel Franco.

If that development seems to have come out of nowhere, well, that’s true.

Adrianza started only 10 games at third base in his first six weeks since coming off the injured list, in addition to three games at second base, two in left field and one at shortstop. Now, though, he’s getting regular action, mostly at the hot corner.

What’s the impetus for that?

“I’ve just honestly been playing matchups with him,” manager Davey Martinez said before tonight’s series opener against the Cardinals. “He missed a lot (of time), as you know. I’m trying to keep him going. When you get hurt and miss that much time during the season, it takes you a little bit to get going. I think over the last few days, he’s been hitting the ball a lot better. So I didn’t want him to lose that by sitting him for a week or something. So I’ve been playing him quite a bit. Franco’s been playing quite a bit. They’ve just been sharing time.”

The Washington Nationals are back in D.C. for the first time since the All-Star break, opening a six-game homestand with three games against the St. Louis Cardinals followed by a three-game series against the divisional rival New York Mets. Single-game tickets for all Nationals home games are on sale now starting at just $9. Fans interested in purchasing tickets should visit nationals.com/Tickets.

The season’s eighth homestand is capped by the annual DC Sports Hall of Fame Induction ceremony and also features Baby Shark™ Day; Cat-urday; a Harris Teeter Food Drive; three University Days; City Connect uniforms; Value Day; U.S. Coast Guard Day; Signature Sunday; Kids Run the Bases; and more. Additionally, the popular Kids Eat Free program has been extended through Thursday, Sept. 1. For additional details, please reference the ‘Kids Eat Free’ section at the bottom of the release.

As a reminder, if you would like to cover any events at Nationals Park, please contact Valerie Todryk Krebs at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Devon Bridges at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for credentialing information in advance of the event.

FRIDAY, JULY 29 vs. ST. LOUIS CARDINALS (7:05 PM)

Nationals Draft Pick Elijah Green Visits Nationals Ballpark

The Nationals are back in town at last for what could be an awfully eventful homestand. It begins tonight with the opener of a three-game series with the Cardinals, and a fun rematch of a famous game in franchise history. Remember the last time Aníbal Sánchez faced Miles Mikolas? That would be Game 1 of the 2019 NLCS. No word if Ryan Zimmerman plans to come out of retirement for one night so he can make a diving catch at first base and keep a no-hit bid alive.

Anyways, the Nats return from a successful series in Los Angeles, having won two of three. Now they face a good Cardinals club that in theory could leave town with a new right fielder. (Sorry, just telling you what’s within the realm of possibility at this point.)

Davey Martinez is sticking with Victor Robles in the leadoff spot, with the aforementioned Juan Soto batting third ahead of Josh Bell and Nelson Cruz. Ehire Adrianza gets another start at third base instead of Maikel Franco, the third time that’s the been the case in the last week.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 7:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Chance of storms, 81 degrees, wind 7 mph out to left field

NATIONALS
CF Victor Robles
2B César Hernández
RF Juan Soto
1B Josh Bell
DH Nelson Cruz
LF Yadiel Hernandez
SS Luis García
C Keibert Ruiz
3B Ehire Adrianza

LOS ANGELES – As the eighth inning became the ninth inning Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, the Nationals suddenly holding a 4-3 lead following Luis García’s dramatic home run, Hunter Harvey looked around the bullpen and tried to figure out who was about to be told to start warming up.

With Kyle Finnegan and Carl Edwards Jr. both unavailable after pitching the previous two nights, Harvey’s attention immediately turned to Steve Cishek, the 36-year-old veteran with 133 saves on his big league resume.

“I was about 100 percent sure it was going to be Cishek,” Harvey said this morning. “That was my guess. He’s been around for 11 years. He’s got a bunch of saves. I was sure he was going to be the guy. So when they called down and said it was going to be me … it’s kind of crazy to even think I’m even getting this opportunity.”

Harvey indeed was manager Davey Martinez’s choice to close the game. The 27-year-old right-hander’s heart started racing at the thought of entering for his first major league save opportunity, before a sellout crowd at Dodger Stadium, of all places.

And though the Nationals lineup actually took the save opportunity away by tacking on four runs in the top of the ninth to extend the lead to 8-3, Harvey’s experience wasn’t diminished in the least. He retired the side, getting Mookie Betts to ground to third for the final out of one the team’s biggest wins of this otherwise dismal season.

Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo made his first public comments about the reports that Juan Soto rejected the Nats’ latest contract offer and the organization will now entertain trading the superstar before Tuesday’s 6 p.m. deadline.

Rizzo, making his weekly appearance this morning on 106.7 The Fan’s “The Sports Junkies,” addressed everything from the team’s negotiations with Soto to his relationship with super agent Scott Boras to the organization’s ownership situation.

Last week, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that Soto rejected a 15-year, $440 million offer from the Nationals and that the team will now entertain trading him before this year’s deadline. On the day of the report, Soto said he was upset that the details of the contract offer became public, and public opinion pointed the finger at the team.

“Leaks are just so difficult,” Rizzo said. “In this age of social media, who knows where some of these things come from? But all I can tell you, it unequivocally did not come from me for sure, 100 percent for sure, or from our front office. That much I know for sure. We had this information three weeks before it leaked out, so we had ample time to leak it out if we wanted to leak it out. … They never ever help a situation. It was disappointing to me, I was upset about it. And it's something that I'd just like to know who leaked it out just to have that information and make sure it didn't come from anybody in baseball operations.”

Rizzo doubled down that the Nationals were not the ones to leak the contract offer details, stating that doing so would not have benefitted the club in any aspect.

LOS ANGELES – It wasn’t that long ago that Nelson Cruz seemed to have found his swing and was on a sustained productive stretch at the plate.

After homering at Texas on June 26, Cruz was on a 44-game run that included a .315 batting average, .395 on-base percentage and .503 slugging percentage, raising his season slash line to .252/.334/.394.

And then the bottom fell out. Over his last 19 games, Cruz has hit a paltry .157 with a .253 on-base percentage, .171 slugging percentage and one extra-base hit (a double). That has left his season numbers back at .231/.317/.346.

“His timing is a little off,” manager Davey Martinez said before tonight’s game against the Dodgers. “He’s a little late getting his foot down. I know he came out early today to hit, so it’s something he wanted to work on. But he’s been doing this for so many years, he knows himself really well. He knows his swing really well.”

Cruz may know his swing well, but the 42-year-old may be running out of time to fix it and ensure he maintains some trade value heading into next week’s league-wide deadline.

LOS ANGELES – Juan Soto, to no one’s surprise, found himself the center of attention again today at Dodger Stadium. One week ago, the Nationals star was celebrating victory in the Home Run Derby on this very field before an appreciative crowd. Tonight, he was left to try to ignore the awkward pleas of some among the gathering of 48,647 for him to trade in his curly W for Dodger blue.

By night’s end, though, that large gathering could only trudge out of this old ballyard muttering to themselves about how Soto and his Nationals teammates had just dismantled their boys to the tune of a 4-1 victory that included clutch hits and a whole lot of dominant relief pitching by a visiting team that entered with half as many wins as their star-laden opponents.

"It gets the team a lot more excited, especially after we did what we did against the pitcher of his caliber, with those great numbers," left fielder Yadiel Hernandez said of his team's ability to hand Dodgers starter Tony Gonsolin his first loss of the season in his 18th start. "We were able to score those runs, and it creates more excitement for us to keep going and hopefully have more games like this."

Soto played his role in the Nats’ fifth-inning rally, chopping a two-run triple over first baseman Freddie Freeman’s head, but there were countless other contributors on this night, most notably the five relievers who each tossed a scoreless inning to make the win possible.

Turning to his bullpen in the fifth despite starter Paolo Espino’s success (and low pitch count), Davey Martinez asked the quintet of Andres Machado, Victor Arano, Hunter Harvey, Carl Edwards Jr. and Kyle Finnegan to close it out. And then watched as they did just that.

LOS ANGELES – Davey Martinez has tried all manner of lineup combinations this season, trying to find some arrangement that produces runs in bunches while keeping Juan Soto and Josh Bell in a position to drive in as many runs as possible. Tonight, the Nationals manager decided to go back to an idea he last toyed with in 2021: Victor Robles leading off.

Yes, for the first time this season Robles is the Nats’ No. 1 hitter for tonight’s series opener against the Dodgers. It’s a role the organization has always hoped he would seize, but to date he hasn’t.

Now, on the heels of a solid weekend in Arizona, Robles is getting another shot atop the order.

“I’ve been thinking about it,” Martinez said. “He’s swinging the bat well. You think about what he does when he gets on base. He causes a bunch of havoc. So I talked to him today, and I told him I want you to lead off.”

This isn’t expected to be a one-and-done opportunity for Robles, either. Martinez said he intends to stick with this look for the foreseeable future, hoping the 25-year-old center fielder makes the most of it.

LOS ANGELES – Dodger Stadium has been the site of more than a few memorable moments in Nationals history, both good ones and bad ones. What do the next three days have in store? Probably nothing as meaningful as the night of Oct. 9, 2019, when the Nats got over the hump and won their first playoff series. But hopefully nothing too devastating, either. We shall see.

Juan Soto, of course, will be the center of attention here, just as he was one week ago when he won the Home Run Derby in this very ballpark. It’ll be interesting to see what the crowd reaction is to the young star. Perhaps some Dodger faithful will be cheering him on, hoping to make a good impression on him?

Soto will be batting third tonight, after batting second Sunday in a 4-3 win over the Diamondbacks. Victor Robles has been bumped up to the leadoff spot for the first time this season, with everyone else getting bumped down a spot from where they were Sunday, including Ehire Adrianza at third base instead of Maikel Franco. Will have to ask if anything unusual is going on there.

Paolo Espino gets the ball for his first start of the second half. It’s an awfully tough challenge, facing a Dodgers lineup that opens up with Mookie Betts, Trea Turner and Freddie Freeman. Espino’s best hope for success: Keep the walks to a minimum, and keep the ball in the yard.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at LOS ANGELES DODGERS
Where: Dodger Stadium
Gametime: 10:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB Network (outside D.C. and L.A. markets), MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 72 degrees, wind 7 mph out to center field

The Washington Nationals announced the following roster moves on Friday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcements. 

·       Recalled right-handed pitcher Hunter Harvey from Triple-A Rochester

·       Returned from rehabilitation assignment and reinstated right-handed pitcher Victor Arano from the 15-day Injured list

·       Placed right-handed pitcher Tyler Clippard on the 15-day Injured List with a groin strain (retroactive to July 19)

Harvey, 27, joins the active roster for the third time this season. He has pitched in seven games, allowing two earned runs on three hits with seven strikeouts in 5.2 innings. Six of Harvey’s seven outings were scoreless. He did not allow a baserunner in his first two outings after returning from the Injured List on July 12.

PHOENIX – The All-Star break should be a time for rest and relaxation, a chance to get away from it all and clear your mind before gearing back up for the second half of the season. For the Nationals, this All-Star break wasn’t at all about rest, and nobody was able to relax.

The last four days have seen the franchise under the bright spotlight of the baseball world, all because of the sudden possibility Juan Soto could be dealt before the Aug. 2 trade deadline, with just about every other team in the sport trying to figure out if it has enough top prospects who could be packaged together to get the Nats to say yes.

There also, of course, was the MLB Draft, which began Sunday night and continued through Tuesday, using up a large chunk of front offices’ time and energy during what traditionally has been a welcome break from the grind.

Now, though, the break is over. The second half begins tonight. And for the Nationals, that means the focus potentially turns back to the field. Which isn’t necessarily a good thing.

Let’s not forget these guys lost 15 of their last 17 games heading into the All-Star break. And one of those wins came Sunday in the first-half finale, in a bullpen game started by Erasmo Ramirez against a Braves team that seemed content to just coast into the break.

Washington, D.C. – Six individuals who have had distinctive careers in sports and one team that had an inspiring run to its first-ever championship are the 2022 honorees selected to the Washington DC Sports Hall of Fame. The formal induction ceremony will be conducted at Nationals Park on Sunday afternoon, July 31, prior to the Washington Nationals-St. Louis Cardinals game. First pitch is set for 1:35 p.m., with the ceremony scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Gates open at 12:00 p.m.

The 2022 DC Sports Hall of Fame class includes basketball great Len Elmore, the late basketball promoter and innovator Bob Geoghan, three-time world boxing champion Mark “Too Sharp” Johnson, Washington Nationals Managing Principal Owner and area philanthropist Mark Lerner, American mile record-holder and Olympian Alan Webb and South Lakes High School and University of Maryland basketball standout Christy Winters Scott. The 2021 NWSL champion Washington Spirit will be recognized as a Team of Distinction.

The members of the DC Sports Hall of Fame selection committee are chairman Bobby Goldwater, a Georgetown University Sports Industry Management master’s program faculty member and sports industry consultant; chairman emeritus and veteran D.C. public relations executive Charlie Brotman; former radio and TV reporter/producer Brenda J. Curtis-Heiken; journalist David Elfin; communications executive and adjunct instructor Meredith Geisler; television and radio personality Chick Hernandez; attorney Phil Hochberg; Washington Nationals Managing Principal Owner Mark Lerner; former Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism Director at the University of Maryland George Solomon; basketball executive and former coach Ed Tapscott; attorney Mark Tuohey; radio and television personality and former Washington pro football tight end Rick “Doc” Walker; baseball commentator and historian Phil Wood; and journalist and Merrill College visiting professor Joe Yasharoff.

“This distinguished group of honorees elevates the honor roll of the DC Sports Hall of Fame, especially with inductions of its first track athlete, one of the area’s greatest-ever boxers, three significant contributors to basketball and an impactful sports and community leader. Individually and together, they represent excellence in sports in the nation’s capital,” said Goldwater.

“The DC Sports Hall of Fame is grateful once again for the support of our collaborative host organization, the Washington Nationals, and the Lerner family to hold our induction ceremony at the ballpark on July 31,” Goldwater added. 

The Washington Nationals selected 10 players on the third day of Major League Baseball’s 2022 First-Year Player Draft. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo, Assistant General Manager & Vice President of Scouting Operations Kris Kline and Director of Scouting Operations Eddie Longosz made the joint announcement.

The Nationals selected right-handed pitcher Luke Young from Midland College (TX) in the 11^th round. Young went 9-4 with a 3.95 ERA and 110 strikeouts in 79.2 innings in 2022. His 110 strikeouts this season were ranked 15^th in NJCAA Division I. In two seasons at Midland, Young struck out 163 hitters in 127.0 innings.

In the 12^th round, Washington selected outfielder Nick Peoples out of Northview High School (CA). A switch-hitter, Peoples batted .333 with 11 doubles, two triples, three home runs, 21 RBI, 21 walks and 13 stolen bases.

With their 13^th-round pick, the Nationals selected right-handed pitcher Marquis Grissom Jr. from Georgia Tech. Grissom went 4-5 with a 5.75 ERA in 18 games, 14 starts in 2022. He struck out 57 in 61.0 innings. Grissom is the son of former Major League outfielder Marquis Grissom who played in 17 Major Leagues seasons and won a World Series in 1995.

Washington selected shortstop Cortland Lawson from the University of Tennessee in the 14^th round. Lawson hit .269 with nine doubles, two triples, 12 home runs and 45 RBI in 65 games for the Volunteers in 2022. A Potomac Falls, Va. native, he attended Dominion High School as a senior after three years at Paul IV Catholic.