PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. – After Wednesday's eight-hour round trip to Tampa, the 45-minute ride up to Port St. Lucie today doesn’t seem all too bad for the Nationals. They were able to arrive at their home complex at a normal time, receive treatment and maybe get in some early work before boarding the bus to go play the Mets.

Trevor Williams, making his second start of the spring, gets his first crack at his former team this afternoon after appearing in 40 games in parts of the last two seasons with the Mets. Signed to a two-year, $13 million contract this offseason, the 30-year-old right-hander tossed a scoreless first inning in his Nationals debut Sunday against the Astros.

The Nationals lineup, which includes regulars CJ Abrams, Luis García, Joey Meneses, Jeimer Candelario and Victor Robles, will get another opportunity to face old friend Max Scherzer, who struck out five over two innings on Sunday.

Scheduled to follow Williams out of the bullpen are Victor Arano, Kyle Finnegan, Carl Edwards Jr., Joan Adon and Jake Irvin.

Update: The game will be nationally broadcast on MLB Network, and not blacked out back in the D.C. area. If you happen to be in New York, the Mets feed will also be on SNY. The Nats radio broadcast can also be heard on Nationals.com.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – With more than nine years of major league service time, Corey Dickerson is by far one of the most experienced players at Nationals spring training, behind only Stephen Strasburg (who remains in D.C. after a setback in his recovery from thoracic outlet surgery over the offseason) and Patrick Corbin.

He is used to the grind of a six-week camp and 162-game season. He is even used to Grapefruit League play, having spent the last three spring trainings 15 minutes up the road with the Marlins and Cardinals in Jupiter and the previous four springs on the Gulf Coast side of the state with the Rays and Pirates.

All of that experience has allowed Dickerson to be one of the few players taking a veteran approach to his first spring training in West Palm Beach after signing a one-year, $2.25 million deal with the Nationals in January.

“It's just a normal spring for me, it feels like,” Dickerson said of his adjustment to his new team so far in camp. “Played with a few guys, know a few guys, but it's been really easy adjusting and just going about my business. Putting in the work every day and guys have been great.

“Just work. Make sure I get quality work in every single day. Kinda be locked into details, really hone in on the fundamentals, try to get fundamentally sound before the season. I think if I do that all the big things take care of themselves.”

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Every time MacKenzie Gore steps on the mound in a Nationals uniform – whether during spring training or the regular season, home or away – he’s going to draw a lot of attention.

Comes with the territory of being included in one of the biggest trades in major league history.

After throwing 18 pitches (13 strikes) in one inning during his debut on Saturday, the 24-year-old left-hander was scheduled to go two frames and 35-40 pitches in this afternoon’s game against the Marlins, which resulted in a 5-5 tie in front of 1,819 fans at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches in a seemingly long 2 hours and 42 minutes.

Although not as sharp as he was his first time out, Gore was able to hit his target for the day by throwing 34 pitches, 23 strikes, in two innings.

“It wasn't quite as good as I thought we've been through camp so far,” Gore said. “But we got in two innings and there were some good things. But I didn't think it was quite as good as we had been up to this point.”

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – On March 18, 2022, the day of the Nationals’ first game of a shortened spring training due to the lockout, Carter Kieboom felt something wrong in his throwing arm during pregame warmups. He was scratched from the starting lineup, had an MRI the following day and was placed on the 60-day injured list two days later with a right forearm flexor mass/ulnar collateral ligament strain. About two months later, he underwent Tommy John surgery, ending his fourth big league season before it even started.

Today, about a year later, Kieboom is back in the Nationals lineup for the first time this spring, batting ninth as the designated hitter in a game against the Marlins at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches.

Although his return to game action is a significant step in his recovery, the Nationals are still taking a slow and cautious approach with the third baseman.

“We just want to give him some at-bats,” manager Davey Martinez said. “Like I said, we're going to kind of ease into this thing with him, so he gets to DH and get him some at-bats and get him going.”

Kieboom has been fine swinging the bat in camp. It’s throwing that still remains a work in progress. But any sort of game action, even just hitting as the DH, will be helpful.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – After making the 3 1/2-hour trek to Tampa yesterday for what resulted in a 4-2 walk-off loss to the Yankees, the Nationals return to Florida’s Atlantic side for the first of their next five games taking place in the greater West Palm Beach area.

Those in attendance today at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches will get their first look at MacKenzie Gore in a Nats home uniform after he made his debut on Saturday against the Cardinals in Jupiter. The young southpaw allowed just one hit with one strikeout and threw 18 pitches (13 strikes) to four batters in a scoreless inning that afternoon. Today, he’ll go a little deeper into the game, pitching multiple innings for the first time.

They’ll also get the first look at Carter Kieboom in live game action in about a year since needing Tommy John surgery. He’s batting ninth as the designated hitter.

The Nationals have a handful of regulars in today’s lineup, including Lane Thomas, Corey Dickerson, Jeimer Candelario, Dominic Smith, Keibert Ruiz and Victor Robles. The relievers expected to follow Gore out of the bullpen include Paolo Espino, Thaddeus Ward, Mason Thompson and Hunter Harvey.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. MIAMI MARLINS
Where: The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach
Gametime: 1:05 p.m. EST
TV: None
Radio: MLB.com (Marlins broadcast)
Weather: Sunny, 84 degrees, wind 12 mph out to left field

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Kyle Finnegan has come a long way in three seasons with the Nationals since signing a major league contract as a minor league free agent in December 2019.

The 31-year-old went from unknown rookie who flashed impressive stuff in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season to trusted reliever who fizzled out late in 2021 to de facto closer in his first complete major league season in 2022.

Now entering his fourth season with the club, the right-hander isn’t too concerned about his role in the Nationals bullpen. He just knows he’ll make most of his appearances in the later innings.

“Back end of the bullpen, which you know is up for hot hand-type situations,” Finnegan said of his role this season. “I was told I'll get some chances back there, but we also have so many good guys that we can play matchups a little bit and bring guys in in different situations. So I think kind of building off last year, we've got a lot of guys that are feeling confident and having success. Having too many guys is always a good thing.”

Too many guys is a good thing, especially when the inevitable injury bug hits that part of the roster, as was the case last year when Sean Doolittle and Tanner Rainey went down in the first couple of months with season-ending injuries.

TAMPA – The Nationals’ spring relocation from remote Viera to centrally located West Palm Beach six years ago cut their travel down to a fraction of what it used to be. Most of their road games now are played on site against the Astros or 15 minutes away in Jupiter, with a few 45-minute trips to Port St. Lucie thrown in.

There are, however, still two long trips on the Grapefruit League schedule this year. And the longest of them has come today, with the Nats making the 3 1/2-hour trek to the opposite side of the state to face the Yankees.

Given that, you can imagine Davey Martinez wasn’t going to make most of his regulars ride the bus for a seven-hour round trip. So today’s lineup features only a handful of regulars (most of them young and/or inexperienced). It also doesn’t include a member of the projected Opening Day rotation. Instead, it’s Cory Abbott (whose best chance of making the team is as a long reliever) taking the mound to face the Bronx Bombers.

There are some kids from minor league camp who were promoted for the day and given the opportunity make this trip, though, headlined by the organization’s new No. 1 prospect: Outfielder James Wood. Stay tuned for the later innings to see if he gets an at-bat.

Today’s game is being broadcast nationally on ESPN. It’s Kevin Brown, Jessica Mendoza and the great Tim Kurkjian on the call. It’s also the last game of my first stint down here this spring. Bobby Blanco has arrived in West Palm Beach and will take the beat writer reins for the next week, so be sure to follow him and read his work until I return on March 9.

The international signing period officially opened this morning, an avenue the Nationals have been traditionally successful in using to acquire young talent.

To open the 2023 signing period, the Nationals announced they have agreed to terms with 14 international free agents: right-handers Jose Feliz, Leuris Portorreal and Enyerber Riveo; left-hander Juan Reyes; catcher Agustin Marcano; infielders Manuel Cabrera, Eikel Joaquin and Edwin Solano; and outfielders Andy Acevedo, Carlos Batista, Hector Liriano, Juan Obispo, Elian Soto and Carlos Tavares.

Elian Soto is Juan Soto’s younger brother who made headlines this time last year when he reportedly flipped his intention to sign with the Mets to the Nats. That became official today as he reportedly agreed to a deal worth a $225,000 signing bonus and an additional $200,000 for a scholarship grant. Last summer’s trade with the Padres seemingly did not have an impact on the younger Soto’s feelings toward signing with the Nationals organization.

Like his brother, Elian demonstrates power from the left side of the plate while playing third base and the outfield. Also like Juan, Elian is represented by super agent Scott Boras, who just negotiated a $23 million salary for the 24-year-old superstar this season with the Padres through the arbitration process.

But unlike his brother, Elian is not considered a top prospect in this class.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – If Davey Martinez and Jim Hickey had only one message for pitchers entering spring training, it was as simple a message as they get: Throw strikes.

The Nationals issued 558 walks last season, fifth-most in the majors. They simply can’t afford to keep issuing free passes at that rate.

Three games into Grapefruit League play this spring, the trend has been reversed in dramatic fashion. Yes, it’s only three games, two of them played today alone. But the Nats have walked a total of only five batters in 26 innings, and none of them came during this afternoon’s 3-2 victory over the Astros at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches.

“These guys are coming in with 9-, 10-, 13-pitch innings,” Martinez said. “We’re pounding the strike zone. That’s something we want to instill in their heads. We told our catchers we’ve got to get strikes. They’ve been good. They’re throwing the ball well.”

Nine different pitchers took the mound here today, and all nine retreated to the dugout having forced Houston’s hitters to earn their way on base. The trendsetter was Trevor Williams, who tossed a scoreless first, escaping a jam thanks to a 6-4-3 double play but allowing just two singles (one of them a little dribbler between the mound and third base).

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Thaddeus Ward will remember his Nationals spring training debut for the scoreless inning he posted, for the changeup he misfired to the backstop and for the news he got afterward: He might need to change his delivery, because his current one might qualify as a balk.

Ward, the top pick in December’s Rule 5 draft, pitched a scoreless bottom of the fifth against the Cardinals, though it included a walk and a wild pitch that came nowhere close to the plate. But the most notable development of his appearance might have been the news he got after he returned to the dugout about his delivery.

When pitching from the stretch, Ward brings his hands together at the waist for a split-second, then does it again before coming to a complete stop. It was no problem for him last year in the minor leagues with the Red Sox, but Major League Baseball is cracking down on those kinds of moves this year.

“They came up to me after the inning ended and told me about it, that the umpires were discussing it,” the right-hander said.

Ward said he began incorporating that double move when he was recovering from Tommy John surgery. It helped remind him to use his legs more, pushing off the rubber. It’s become a subconscious part of his mechanics.

The Washington Nationals are back in West Palm Beach, Fla., for their seventh season of Spring Training at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. The Nationals open their spring schedule this week against the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday, Feb. 25, in Jupiter, Fla., before returning to The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches one day later to face the defending World Series champion Houston Astros in a split-squad matchup. Tickets for all games are available now at nationals.com/Spring.

Fans not making the trip to Florida can catch the action on TV and radio, as Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN), 106.7 The Fan, The Team 980 and nationals.com combine to present 15 games from Florida. The Nationals’ Spring Training schedule features three games televised by MASN and a combined 14 radio broadcasts airing on 106.7 The Fan, The Team 980 or streaming on nationals.com. MASN and 106.7 The Fan will also carry the Nationals final tune-up before the regular season, an exhibition vs. the New York Yankees on Tuesday, March 28, at Nationals Park.

In addition to game programming, 106.7 The Fan will host four editions of “Nats Spring Training Live!” from E.R. Bradley’s Saloon located at 104 S Clematis St. in downtown West Palm Beach. The 60-minute talk shows hosted by Nationals radio voices Dave Jageler and Charlie Slowes are live Sundays, Feb. 26, March 5, March 12 and March 19, from 6:00-7:00 p.m. “Nats Spring Training Live!” programs are free to attend in-person and feature special guest appearances by Nationals players, coaches and personalities.

Nationals 2023 Spring Training Broadcast Schedule*

We are grateful for the generous outpouring of love and support we have received since the passing of Ted Lerner – husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and Nationals founding managing principal owner.

So much has been said about his accomplishments as a businessman and philanthropist. He, of course, would have been the first to acknowledge that none of it was achieved alone, and that is certainly true when it comes to the story of the Washington Nationals. It was a team effort to bring our national pastime back to the Nation’s capital; a team that consisted of City officials, business leaders and, most importantly, devoted fans from around the District, Maryland and Virginia.

We know he was grateful for all of the hard work that made it possible for him to realize a lifelong dream. Today we want to express our gratitude as well, for the support from so many, for the enthusiasm of Nationals fans, for the love and sympathy we have felt over the past number of days, and for the incomparable life lived by Ted Lerner.

The Family of Theodore N. Lerner

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – While preaching a measured, “day-by-day” approach with Stephen Strasburg, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo turned emotional Friday when talking about the veteran right-hander, whose career appears to be in peril following the latest setback in his attempt to return from thoracic outlet surgery.

“You’re talking about one of the best big-game pitchers that’s ever pitched,” Rizzo said in his first session with reporters this spring, his eyes appearing to well up as he spoke. “The best big-game pitcher the Nationals have ever had, and anywhere in baseball. You talk about an ultra-competitor, wasn’t afraid to take the ball in the toughest and most unique situations and perform admirably. We built this franchise on the back of him. I just feel bad that he can’t relish into the end of his career gracefully. He just feels terrible about it.”

Strasburg’s latest attempt to come back from the July 2021 surgery that derailed his career was sidetracked a couple of weeks ago when he reported the same nerve discomfort in his shoulder and arm he has experienced after trying to pitch. The Nationals shut him down after only two bullpen sessions, and he remains in Washington contemplating his next steps.

Those next steps, according to Rizzo, begin with doctor visits, including second opinions beyond what Strasburg already has been told. No final decisions have been made yet.

“We’re going to take it day by day, literally day by day,” Rizzo said. “We’ll get all the opinions. We’ll sit down with Stras. And we’ll make out a game plan.”

While all the excitement surrounding the start of a new season is down in West Palm Beach, hearts remain heavy in D.C. for the late Ted Lerner, the Nationals’ founding principal owner who passed away at the age of 97 on Monday.

The stories of how Lerner’s life was entrenched in Washington baseball have been told numerous times over the past few days. How he was born on the same day the Senators lost Game 7 of the 1925 World Series, and how he grew up to become an usher at old Griffith Stadium. How he purchased the Nationals in 2006, one year after the franchise moved to D.C. from Montreal. And how he built the team into a perennial contender that claimed four National League East division titles before winning the NL Wild Card Game, the NL pennant on his 94th birthday and the World Series two weeks later in 2019.

The team, general manager Mike Rizzo and Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred have all released statements filled with condolences and kind words about the late Nats owner.

“Mr. Lerner was an irreplaceable presence whose passing leaves a profound void in the Washington Nationals family,” Rizzo said in his statement. “He was truly one of a kind.

“Those of us who had the privilege of working for Mr. Lerner observed a brilliant business mind and a uniquely thoughtful form of analysis. His confident, systematic approach to challenges provided me a life-long lesson in persistence and perseverance. His influence on me was immeasurable and I will always be grateful for the opportunities he afforded the entire Nationals organization.

With the official start of spring training yesterday, as Nationals pitchers and catchers reported to West Palm Beach and had their first workout on the back fields of The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, come the traditional pleasantries of a new season.

How was your offseason? What are you working on this spring? What are your goals for the season?

Aside from announcing the news of Stephen Strasburg’s setback, manager Davey Martinez answered most of these questions with an enthusiastic energy yesterday during his first meeting with the media members who are in Florida, while others, myself included, tuned in over Zoom.

“It was really good,” Martinez said after Day 1 of camp. “For me, honestly, it feels like Day 25 because a lot of guys have been here early. Very enthusiastic. Their work ethic has been really, really good for a few weeks, even though today was Day 1. Seeing everybody together, getting everybody in The Circle of Trust, talking to them guys, a lot of energy today, which was awesome. It was a lot of fun. Getting to meet the new guys and talk to them face-to-face was pretty awesome as well.”

Martinez was also very clear about his theme for this spring and the upcoming season: opportunity.

The Washington Nationals announced their 2023 non-roster invitees on Wednesday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.

Theodore N. Lerner, the onetime usher at Griffith Stadium who went on to build a local real estate empire, then purchase the Nationals from Major League Baseball and watch the franchise win its first World Series title, has died. He was 97.

Mr. Lerner’s death, which came two days before pitchers and catchers are due to report for spring training, was announced by the club this morning.

“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Founding Managing Principal Owner, Theodore N. Lerner,” the Nationals said in a statement. “The crowning achievement of his family business was bringing baseball back to the city he loved - and with it, bringing a championship home for the first time since 1924. He cherished the franchise and what it brought to his beloved hometown.”

A lifelong Washingtonian who grew up rooting for local sports teams, Mr. Lerner was born Oct. 15, 1925, the same day the Senators lost Game 7 of the World Series to the Pirates, one year after the franchise won its one and only championship. He attended occasional games as a child and became a ballpark usher as a teenager, then like so many other area baseball fans was heartbroken when the second incarnation of the Senators relocated to Texas following the 1971 season.

By then, Mr. Lerner was already two decades into his professional career, having founded Lerner Enterprises in 1952 off a $250 loan from his wife, Annette, and built it into the largest private real estate company in the region.

Commissioner of Baseball Robert D. Manfred, Jr. issued the following statement today regarding the passing of Washington Nationals Founding Principal Owner Ted Lerner, who was 97:

“Ted Lerner was a proud product of Washington, DC, an avid baseball fan, and an extraordinary American success story. In 2006, this onetime usher at Griffith Stadium took ownership in the nation’s capital and, in 2008, made Nationals Park a first-class destination. The Nationals’ era of winning baseball culminated in the 2019 World Series Championship, the first for baseball fans in the District since 1924. Most importantly, the Nationals have always remained loyal to Ted’s vision of unity, philanthropy and civic pride in Washington.

“I have great appreciation for Ted’s impact on his hometown and the game he loved. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my deepest condolences to Ted’s entire family, including Annette Lerner, Mark Lerner and Judy Lenkin Lerner, Marla Lerner Tanenbaum and Robert Tanenbaum, and Debra Lerner Cohen and Edward Cohen.”

It is with great sadness that the Washington Nationals today announce the passing of Founding Managing Principal Owner, Theodore N. Lerner.

Mr. Lerner is survived by his beloved wife of 71 years, Annette Morris Lerner; his children Mark D. Lerner (Judy) and Debra Lerner Cohen (Edward) of Washington, D.C., and Marla Lerner Tanenbaum (Robert) of Bethesda, Maryland; his nine grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

From his humble beginnings as an usher in Washington D.C.’s old Griffith Stadium, to the ushering in of a new era of championship baseball in his hometown, Mr. Lerner literally and figuratively built a legacy through his signature mix of tenacity and humility. Guided by love for his family and passion for his hometown, Mr. Lerner dedicated his life to the creation of a better city and a winning ball club.

Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Lerner was a graduate of the George Washington University and had a law degree from the George Washington University National Law Center. In 1952, he founded Lerner Enterprises, which went on to become one of the largest private real estate development companies in the D.C. area. Mr. Lerner was named Managing Principal Owner of the Washington Nationals on May 3, 2006, and worked tirelessly from that day forward to build a world-class baseball team in his beloved Washington, D.C. He created the framework that brought the 2019 World Series to the nation’s capital, and the championship ball club he helped create stands as a reminder of the love he had for this great game and the passion he had for giving back to his hometown.

In addition to his many accomplishments in business and in sports, Mr. Lerner championed the creation of opportunities for all residents of the region and was instrumental in the foundation of the Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy, which provides year-round programming and resources in one of the city’s most underserved neighborhoods. Mr. Lerner led by example through his family’s own private philanthropy and set the tone for the ball club’s company-wide culture of giving, which still extends into the clubhouse, front office and in the stands. He was honored with the Washington Nationals Philanthropies “Power of Baseball Award” in 2022 in recognition of the many ways he’s improved the city of Washington, D.C. and the lives of its residents. 

Pitchers and catchers don’t have to officially report to the Nationals’ facility in West Palm Beach until Tuesday. But it’s not uncommon to see guys start arriving a week or so early.

Josiah Gray is among those already down there getting ready for the start of camp. He joined “The Hot Stove Show” last week over Zoom from his back patio under cover from the sun after getting Florida license plates for his car.

Even professional athletes can’t avoid the pain of a trip to the DMV. A necessary evil to save the hassle for future spring trainings.

This will be Gray’s second spring training in West Palm Beach after coming over to the Nats in the blockbuster trade with the Dodgers in July 2021. And this time he’ll be looking to become one of the top pitchers in the starting rotation.

While a lot of focus will be on the Nats’ top prospects entering the second full season of this rebuild, attention will still be paid to the young players at the major league level to see how their development progresses, Gray included.