nationals

On Zimmerman's running, Barrett's return and Gonzalez's signing

March 18, 2019, 7:35pm

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - There weren't a whole lot of positives to come out of the Nationals' 7-1 exhibition loss to the Marlins yesterday, but if you squinted hard enough you might have come away finding a few developments worth smiling about. For example: Ryan Zimmerman's baserunning. This isn't typically something that gets noticed, good or bad, but something noteworthy did happen during the bottom of the second inning. First up, Zimmerman beat out a grounder to third for an infield...

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Starting lineups: Nats vs. Braves in Lake Buena Vista

March 19, 2019, 6:37am

Nationals

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Braves in Lake Buena Vista

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Hello from Walt Disney World. This is the last time the Nationals are ever scheduled to come here, with the Braves relocating to North Port (on the Gulf Coast) next spring, and they may not even get a chance to make that five-hour round trip worth it because it's been raining all day. No word yet on the status of the game, so everyone's preparing as though they'll play, but it's certainly a question mark. The matchup, if it happens, is AnÃbal SÃ¡nchez against...

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Ross sharp in his longest outing of spring as Nats win 6-5 over Mets

March 18, 2019, 12:31pm

Nationals

Ross sharp in his longest outing of spring as Nats win 6-5 over Mets

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Right-hander Joe Ross looked comfortable and his pitches were sharp in his first start of spring since returning from Tommy John surgery. Ross allowed a two-run shot to Michael Conforto, but finished three innings looking strong, mixing four pitches and hitting mid-90s with his fastball. Ross fired 61 pitches, 44 for strikes, scattering four hits, allowing two runs with no walks and striking out three. It was his longest outing of spring training in his sixth overall...

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Relievers Hoover, Cordero among today's roster cuts

March 18, 2019, 2:25pm

Nationals

Relievers Hoover, Cordero among today's roster cuts

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Nationals made another round of cuts following today's split-squad games, trimming their camp roster by six. Optioned to Triple-A Fresno were right-handers Austin Voth, Jimmy Cordero, Kyle McGowin and Tanner Rainey. Re-assigned to minor league camp were right-hander J.J. Hoover and outfielder Hunter Jones. The moves bring more clarity to the few remaining competitions for spots on the opening roster (in the bullpen and on the bench) as the Nationals enter the final...

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Taylor playing catch, hitting off tee days after injury (Nats lose 7-1)

March 18, 2019, 8:24am

Nationals

Taylor playing catch, hitting off tee days after injury (Nats lose 7-1)

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Only three days after his manager said he expected him to miss "a significant amount of time," Michael A. Taylor was back playing catch and taking light swings this morning at the Nationals' spring training complex, suggesting his sprained left knee and hip aren't as seriously hurt as initially feared. Mirroring the light workout he revealed he went through Sunday, Taylor stood on the synthetic "agility" field just outside the Nationals clubhouse this morning and...

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Corbin shakes off first-inning struggles

March 18, 2019, 12:48pm

Nationals

Corbin shakes off first-inning struggles

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Patrick Corbin has allowed 12 runs so far in 18 innings this spring, but more notable is the fact seven of those runs have been scored in the first inning of his starts. It's not uncommon for pitchers, especially the elite ones, to have more trouble in the first inning than any other frame. But this isn't common territory for Corbin, who last season with Arizona posted a sparkling 0.82 ERA in the first inning. So the left-hander isn't about to raise any red flags or...

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Martinez looking to stretch out Ross as season approaches (Nats win 6-5)

March 18, 2019, 6:16am

Nationals

Martinez looking to stretch out Ross as season approaches (Nats win 6-5)

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Nationals manager Davey Martinez's goal for right-hander Joe Ross is to get through three innings today in his first spring training start, a split-squad affair against the Mets on the road. Ross has appeared in five games in a relief role from February 23 to March 12. He has gone 7 2/3 total innings and has a 1.17 ERA. He has seven strikeouts and walked three. "We want to stretch him out a little bit," Martinez said. "See if we can get him three up and downs. We...

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Split-squad lineups: Nats vs. Marlins and Mets

March 18, 2019, 5:56am

Nationals

Split-squad lineups: Nats vs. Marlins and Mets

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Split-squad games are a rite of spring training, but the Nationals haven't had one yet this year. That changes today, when half the team hosts the Marlins in West Palm Beach and the other half travels to Port St. Lucie to face the Mets (weather permitting). Fortunately we've got tag team coverage right now: I'll be writing about the home game, Byron Kerr will be writing about the road game. It's Patrick Corbin facing the Marlins in his second-to-last tune-up before...

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Strasburg fine facing Mets, Soto stays hot, Taylor starts rehab

March 17, 2019, 1:42pm

Nationals

Strasburg fine facing Mets, Soto stays hot, Taylor starts rehab

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Nationals and Mets faced each other today in West Palm Beach, and they'll face each other again Sunday in Port St. Lucie. More importantly, they'll face each other six times in the season's first two weeks, dates that are rapidly approaching. It's not uncommon in that scenario for starting pitchers to elect not to take the mound for these final spring tuneups against the same lineup they'll be going up against for real in a matter of days. And indeed the Mets'...

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Martinez hasn't chosen opening day catcher yet (Nats win 10-5)

March 17, 2019, 8:14am

Nationals

Martinez hasn't chosen opening day catcher yet (Nats win 10-5)

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Davey Martinez hasn't decided yet who his starting catcher will be on opening day. The manager has said all spring he intends to get both Yan Gomes and Kurt Suzuki regular playing time and have them split the job, and the opening day assignment is no different. Both catchers have worked with Max Scherzer over the last month. And both will catch the three-time Cy Young Award winner as the season plays out. It's just a question of who's behind the plate for the first...

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Braves GM's faith in SÃ¡nchez ultimately lands pitcher in D.C.

March 16, 2019, 7:54pm

Nationals

Braves GM's faith in SÃ¡nchez ultimately lands pitcher in D.C.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Alex Anthopoulos first fell in love with AnÃbal SÃ¡nchez in December 2012, when the then-Blue Jays general manager flew to Miami to court the then-free agent pitcher. Over the course of two days, Anthopoulos met SÃ¡nchez and his wife, dined at Joe's Stone Crab and became convinced this was a pitcher he needed on his roster. "I was just really impressed with the person and the human being," Anthopoulos said earlier this spring. "He was our No. 1 target in that...

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Teenager Mason Denaburg ready for live baseball with Nats

March 17, 2019, 2:56am

Nationals

Teenager Mason Denaburg ready for live baseball with Nats

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Right-hander Mason Denaburg, the Nationals' 2018 first-round pick in the First-Year Player Draft, is making very good progress in his first spring training. The 6-foot-4, 195-lb. right-hander did side work Saturday in preparation for his first live pitching session Tuesday. He threw 40 pitches Saturday and now will have two days off. Denaburg will pitch in a live simulated game Tuesday where he will throw fastballs, changeups and curveballs. He gets six days off between...

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Starting lineups: Nats vs. Mets in West Palm Beach

March 17, 2019, 6:08am

Nationals

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Mets in West Palm Beach

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Nationals managed to avoid the rain yesterday and play their full exhibition game against the Cardinals. They'll try to do the same today against the Mets, with the forecast again iffy. Stephen Strasburg makes his fourth start of the spring. He's been very good to date: two runs allowed in 10 2/3 innings, with 13 strikeouts. He'll face a Mets lineup that includes Robinson CanÃ³ and Michael Conforto. Most of the Nationals' regulars, who started each of the last...

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Doolittle gets a much-needed "wakeup call" with blown save

March 16, 2019, 2:07pm

Nationals

Doolittle gets a much-needed "wakeup call" with blown save

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - It's easy to take Sean Doolittle for granted, because he's been so automatic for the Nationals when healthy the last 1 1/2 seasons. Maybe Doolittle even takes himself for granted sometimes, especially during a spring in which he had retired 12 of the 13 batters he had faced before taking the mound in the ninth inning this afternoon. The left-hander won't do that anymore, not after a disastrous appearance that saw him allow five runs and turn a 5-3 lead into an 8-5...

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Versatile Difo gets call to start in center field (Nats fall 8-5)

March 16, 2019, 6:47am

Nationals

Versatile Difo gets call to start in center field (Nats fall 8-5)

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - With the injury to outfielder Michael A. Taylor, the Nationals will have to make some adjustments to the lineup with spring training winding down. Manager Davey Martinez opted to go with Wilmer Difo in center field for today's game against the Cardinals. Difo has played in 248 games at infield positions for the Nats over the past four seasons, but only seven games in the outfield. That doesn't faze Martinez, who has tremendous confidence in Difo's athletic ability to...

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Hot bats mean cool treats for Nationals

March 15, 2019, 7:47pm

Nationals

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - During these dog days of spring training, when the bus rides feel longer than usual and opening day is still just too far away to get excited about, some extra motivation is sometimes needed. So Davey Martinez made a promise to the young players who made the long trip to Fort Myers on Thursday: score 10 or more runs, and everybody would get to eat Popeyes on the ride home. They proceeded to defeat the Twins 10-4, so the bus smelled like chicken and biscuits for the next 2...

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Starting lineups: Nats vs. Cardinals in West Palm Beach

March 16, 2019, 5:35am

Nationals

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Cardinals in West Palm Beach

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - It's a gray morning here in South Florida, and there appears to be rain in the forecast this afternoon. No idea yet if it will impact today's Nationals exhibition game against the Cardinals, but it is something to keep an eye on. Max Scherzer would certainly like to make his start as scheduled, his penultimate start of the spring before he takes the mound for opening day. Scherzer has had a few ragged starts this month and comes in having allowed nine runs and 14 hits...

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Taylor will miss "significant" time with sprained knee, hip

March 15, 2019, 1:06pm

Nationals

Taylor will miss "significant" time with sprained knee, hip

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - This morning's MRI of Michael A. Taylor's left leg revealed both a sprained knee and hip, and the Nationals outfielder is going to miss a "significant" amount of time while recovering, according to manager Davey Martinez. "It stinks," Martinez said following the Nats' 11-3 exhibition victory over the Mets. "It's a little bit more than we were hoping for. But he's going to rehab, and as soon as we get him back, we get him back." Taylor injured himself making a...

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Teenager Garcia adding strength and defensive skill to hitting prowess

March 15, 2019, 11:42am

Nationals

Teenager Garcia adding strength and defensive skill to hitting prowess

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Shortstop Luis Garcia has done a nice job in 15 games with the Nationals this spring training, slashing .316/.381/.316 with six hits, seven runs scored and two RBIs. Garcia, 18, is currently listed as the No. 3 rated prospect in the Nats system, according to MLB Pipeline. Director of player development Mark Scialabba said his hitting skills have been apparent since the Nats signed the youngster in July 2016. He said it's only a matter of time before Garcia adds power to...

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Just-signed Sipp ready to face multiple challenges (Nats win 11-3)

March 15, 2019, 9:56am

Nationals

Just-signed Sipp ready to face multiple challenges (Nats win 11-3)

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Tony Sipp arrived at Nationals camp Thursday and immediately threw his first bullpen session with the club that signed him to a $1 million contract the previous day. He hasn't faced any live hitters yet, obviously hasn't appeared in any spring training games and certainly hasn't appeared in back-to-back games, all hurdles he'll need to cross before joining the Nats' active roster. So the pertinent question this morning when Sipp met with reporters in West Palm Beach...