nationals

Scherzer remains dialed in, dominates Cards again

March 15, 2021, 12:36pm

It's only spring training, so all the usual caveats must apply. These games don't count. Different players take different approaches when they're on the field. Objectives aren't the same on March 15 as they will be on April 1. Now, having gotten all that out of the way, this needs to be said: Max Scherzer looks absolutely dialed in right now. With a dominant, four-inning performance today during a 4-2 loss to the Cardinals in Jupiter, Fla., Scherzer built off his two previous exhibition...

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Lineups: Nats vs. Cardinals in Jupiter

March 15, 2021, 6:05am

Nationals

Sure, there are some big-name Nationals starting today against the Cardinals in Jupiter. Max Scherzer is on the mound. Trea Turner, Juan Soto and Ryan Zimmerman are in the lineup. But let's talk about the guy who is making his 2021 Grapefruit League debut, because I have a hunch some fans are more excited to watch him than anyone else: Gerardo Parra. Yes, the Baby Shark is back at last. After needing some extra time to get himself into shape following knee surgery last fall, Parra is ready to...

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Rotation plans hinge on Strasburg and Lester's progress

March 15, 2021, 7:15am

Nationals

Rotation plans hinge on Strasburg and Lester's progress

The Nationals remain hopeful Stephen Strasburg will be able to make his next start after straining his left calf Sunday but are preparing contingency plans in case he needs more time to heal. Strasburg is scheduled to receive treatment at the club's complex in West Palm Beach, Fla., today, after which he and the Nationals medical staff will decide whether he can attempt to play catch and test his leg. If everything appears fine, he would then likely progress to throwing off a mound, where the...

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Pandemic alters interactions between veterans and youngsters

March 13, 2021, 8:26am

Nationals

Pandemic alters interactions between veterans and youngsters

Stroll through a pre-pandemic spring training clubhouse, or eye up what's happening on the back fields of a camp complex, and you'll see a lot of teaching and mentoring going on. Even if it's not readily apparent, it was happening. A young hurler could ask a veteran about pitch grips. An inexperienced infielder can work with coaches and teammates to refine his footwork or positioning. An outfielder of the future spends time between shagging fly balls by picking the brain of a guy with a deep...

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Nationals announce return of fans to Nationals Park

March 15, 2021, 7:17pm

Nationals

The Washington Nationals, with approval from the Government of the District of Columbia and Major League Baseball, today announced that Nationals Park will welcome fans back to the ballpark for the 2021 season, beginning on Opening Day, Thursday, April 1 against the New York Mets. The Opening Day game will be aired nationally on ESPN, with first pitch scheduled for 7:09 p.m. ET. In accordance with CDC recommendations and MLB protocols, the Nationals will implement appropriate social distancing...

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Calf strain forces Strasburg's early exit in loss to Astros (updated)

March 14, 2021, 11:38am

Nationals

Calf strain forces Strasburg's early exit in loss to Astros (updated)

When Davey Martinez saw Stephen Strasburg's plant leg buckle as he threw a 3-1 curveball to Jose Altuve, he knew something was up. And by the time the Nationals manager reached the mound to confer with his right-hander, he'd already made the decision that Strasburg's second spring training start was over. "It was really not much of a discussion," Martinez said via Zoom after the Nationals' 5-0 loss to the Astros on Sunday afternoon. "Just wanted to pinpoint exactly what he was feeling....

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Lineups: Nats vs. Astros in West Palm Beach (plus first cuts)

March 13, 2021, 3:18pm

Nationals

Lineups: Nats vs. Astros in West Palm Beach (plus first cuts)

Stephen Strasburg makes his second spring start this afternoon, and the right-hander will be facing the same team and starting pitcher - the Astros and righty Lance McCullers - that he saw in his first outing on Tuesday. Since it's his second outing, expect Strasburg to push toward three innings and about 50-60 pitches. That would be in line with a usual second start for a starting pitcher, and since Strasburg is a creature of habit, he won't want to deviate from the established...

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Martinez on Lester and Rainey, first cuts and Barrett's knee surgery

March 14, 2021, 8:19am

Nationals

Martinez on Lester and Rainey, first cuts and Barrett's knee surgery

Davey Martinez's morning Zoom session with reporters was delayed about 35 minutes so the Nationals manager could watch left-hander Jon Lester throw live batting practice, an important step after returning to camp following surgery to remove one of his parathyroid glands. "He threw 37 pitches, two innings. He looked good," Martinez said of Lester, who returned to spring training in West Palm Beach earlier this week after surgery on March 5 in New York. "He was about 75, 80 percent. The ball...

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With walk-off single, TomÃ¡s throws his hat in the ring

March 13, 2021, 7:51pm

Nationals

With walk-off single, TomÃ¡s throws his hat in the ring

The Nationals have one open spot on their bench they need to fill, and the sense entering camp was that it was likely to go either to a utility infielder like HernÃ¡n PÃ©rez or Jordy Mercer or an experienced backup outfielder like Gerardo Parra or Yadiel HernÃ¡ndez. There is another possible candidate for the job, though, especially if general manager Mike Rizzo and manager Davey Martinez decide to prioritize offensive potential over defensive ability and versatility. His name is Yasmany...

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Ross continues to make his case for final spot in rotation

March 13, 2021, 5:05pm

Nationals

Ross continues to make his case for final spot in rotation

If the conventional wisdom entering the spring was that the No. 5 spot in the Nationals rotation was Joe Ross' to lose, the right-hander has done nothing to date to suggest he's in serious danger of coughing up the job to someone else. Ross hasn't necessarily dominated in his two starts, but he's been good enough. He's been healthy. And he's feeling quite comfortable sliding back into the five-day routine of a big league starter after sitting out the 2020 season. "It's just good to be...

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Limited spring schedule forces Nats to get creative

March 13, 2021, 11:28am

Nationals

Limited spring schedule forces Nats to get creative

As much as they've tried to make this feel like a normal spring training, there are certain unavoidable differences from previous Nationals camps because of COVID-19 protocols. Like the limited number of opponents. Because Major League Baseball decided to reduce travel across the state of Florida, the Nats are only playing the four other clubs that train within 45 minutes of West Palm Beach: the Astros, Cardinals, Marlins and Mets. That leads to a whole lot of repeat matchups against teams...

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Nats are only MLB club still waiting for answer on fans

March 12, 2021, 7:06pm

Nationals

Nats are only MLB club still waiting for answer on fans

There are only 19 days to go until opening night at Nationals Park, and there are still a whole lot of decisions that must be made before then. Will Joe Ross be the No. 5 starter? Will Victor Robles be leading off? Will Carter Kieboom be the starting third baseman? Who will round out the bullpen and the bench? Oh, yeah, and this little question that still needs to be answered: Will any fans be allowed in the park to watch the Nationals and Mets open the season? In some respects, it's kind of...

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Lineups: Nats vs. Mets in West Palm Beach

March 13, 2021, 9:56am

Nationals

Lineups: Nats vs. Mets in West Palm Beach

After their first true day off of the spring, the Nationals are back in action tonight in West Palm Beach, facing the Mets. And tonight marks the end of the second turn through the projected rotation. Joe Ross is on the mound for his second start, looking to build off a solid debut against this same New York lineup in which he threw 39 pitches across 1 2/3 innings and struck out three. Though nobody is saying it out loud, it seems pretty clear Ross is the planned No. 5 starter entering the...

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One year later, spring training shutdown still feels surreal

March 11, 2021, 7:41pm

Nationals

One year later, spring training shutdown still feels surreal

The Nationals are off today, and there is some strange symbolism to be found there, because exactly one year ago, they played one of the final six games to be held in Florida before Major League Baseball shut down all spring training operations. March 12, 2020, was a day unlike any we'd ever experienced. It was surreal. It was filled with uncertainty. It was, as it turned out, the end of an era. "It was tough," manager Davey Martinez said Thursday, reminiscing about the one-year anniversary...

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With increased velocity, Corbin feeling more like himself

March 11, 2021, 11:59am

Nationals

With increased velocity, Corbin feeling more like himself

When Patrick Corbin pitched 364 days ago - in what proved to be the final game of spring training 2020 before Major League Baseball shut down in response to the rapidly growing pandemic - his fastball hovered in the 87-88 mph range. And though it ticked up to an average of 90 mph once the season finally took place last summer, it wasn't enough to prevent the left-hander from giving up the most hits in the league. When Corbin pitched this afternoon in Jupiter, Fla., in his second start of this...

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Soto sits again, Rainey throws again, cabbage races again

March 11, 2021, 6:23am

Nationals

Soto sits again, Rainey throws again, cabbage races again

Juan Soto reported to The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches this morning, feeling better after spending Wednesday at home with what was believed to be a sinus issue, and wanted to play in the Nationals' exhibition game against the Marlins. And Davey Martinez initially put Soto in his lineup. He was batting second, behind Victor Robles and ahead of Trea Turner in the latest attempt by the manager to see if that new-look trio atop the order could work. Then Martinez thought better of it. Soto was...

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How to evaluate Kieboom midway through camp

March 10, 2021, 6:29pm

Nationals

How to evaluate Kieboom midway through camp

There are two types of ballplayers in any spring training camp: Those who know they can use this time to prepare themselves for the regular season, and those who believe they need to perform now to have a chance to still be around for the regular season. As much as everyone wishes he was in the first category, the truth is many are left stuck in the latter group. These are the guys who are competing for jobs, and because of that they often feel like their spring numbers matter a lot more than...

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Scherzer ramps up, Soto stays home, Parra plays in B game

March 10, 2021, 11:42am

Nationals

Scherzer ramps up, Soto stays home, Parra plays in B game

After using his first start of the spring to make sure his sprained left ankle was healed and his pitching mechanics were still in proper form, Max Scherzer remarked that his objective was to "go out there, get my work in and worry about getting the intensity later." It appears five days counts as "later" in Scherzer's mind. Making his second start of the spring this afternoon in West Palm Beach, Fla., Scherzer looked like a midseason version of himself. He faced nine Cardinals batters and...

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Lineups: Nats vs. Marlins in Jupiter (updated)

March 11, 2021, 4:25am

Nationals

Lineups: Nats vs. Marlins in Jupiter (updated)

Another day, another opportunity for Davey Martinez to try out what appears to be his preferred opening day lineup. That's the one that opens with Victor Robles, Juan Soto and Trea Turner, in that order. At this point, it should be clear Martinez really, really, really wants Robles to prove he can handle the leadoff spot. And though he has flip-flopped Soto and Turner in the No. 2 and No. 3 spots, this arrangement (with Turner serving as Soto's protection) seems to be the manager's...

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Lester already noticing positive effects of parathyroid removal

March 10, 2021, 7:08am

Nationals

Lester already noticing positive effects of parathyroid removal

Though he didn't quite know it at the time, Jon Lester does know he wasn't feeling right at least a year ago. The veteran left-hander, who has built a legacy as one of baseball's true workhorses, noticed he didn't have as much energy as he used to. He would take the mound at Wrigley Field at times last season and feel way more fatigued than should've been at that stage of a game. "There would be times where I would run out in the fifth, sixth, seventh inning and feel like I hit a brick...