nationals

Kendrick and Scherzer shake off missteps in 8-4 defeat

March 05, 2019, 11:53am

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Spring training inevitably contains missteps and injuries. The Nationals had been lucky enough to avoid both - until today. Their 8-4 loss Tuesday afternoon didn't hurt as much watching Howie Kendrick pull up lame and limp back to the dugout with a left hamstring strain in the third inning or seeing Max Scherzer labor against a Red Sox lineup populated mostly with bench players and minor leaguers making the three-hour drive from Fort Myers. Luckily, neither issue seems...

Comments

Tags:

davey martinez howie kendrick max scherzer nationals natonals pastime pete kerzel spring training featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Fresno Grizzlies announce 2019 radio and television game schedule

March 05, 2019, 12:09pm

Nationals

Fresno Grizzlies announce 2019 radio and television game schedule

The new Triple-A Nationals affiliate, the Fresno Grizzlies, have announced their radio and television broadcast agreements for the 2019 season. All 140 games, and any playoff contests, will be broadcast live on the radio on KRDU 1130 AM from Dinuba, Calif. Nats fans can access the radio broadcasts free of charge on FresnoGrizzlies.com and on the MiLB app. Radio simulcast of every Grizzlies game, home or road, is available on MiLB.tv and FresnoGrizzlies.com to subscribers, with most in high...

Comments

Tags:

fresno grizzlies nationals frontstory_nationals2 nationals farm report

Miller's injury muddles middle relief for Nats (Nats lose 8-4)

March 05, 2019, 5:36am

Nationals

Miller's injury muddles middle relief for Nats (Nats lose 8-4)

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Right now, the strained lower back muscle that's sidelined right-hander Justin Miller has been treated like a minor injury. But it's one that could have major ramifications for the Nationals bullpen. Miller complained about the problem, which delayed his spring debut until Saturday. And after pitching an inning against the Twins, he still had a problem with lower back soreness. The Nationals shut him down, sent him for an MRI and discovered the muscle strain. Today,...

Comments

Tags:

adrian sanchez davey martinez justin miller koda glover max scherzer nationals nationals pastime pete kerzel spring training wil crowe featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Hellickson working on slider, quick-pitch delivery

March 04, 2019, 12:00pm

Nationals

Hellickson working on slider, quick-pitch delivery

JUPITER, Fla. - Right-hander Jeremy Hellickson is embracing the notion that spring training is a time to test out new things. One he's growing pretty comfortable with, the other remains a work in progress. During his three-inning stint this afternoon in a 9-8 loss to the Marlins, Hellickson got more comfortable with a quick-pitch windup designed to keep hitters used to his more deliberate delivery a little more off-balance. He also threw broke out a new offering - a slider he's been thinking...

Comments

Tags:

erick fedde featured_sidebar jeremy hellickson nationals nationals pastime pete kerzel frontstory_nationals3

Now that he trusts fastball, Bourque must focus on commanding it

March 04, 2019, 8:25am

Nationals

Now that he trusts fastball, Bourque must focus on commanding it

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - James Bourque's epiphany came in fall instructional league when the Nationals devised a plan to force him to learn to trust his fastball. "They took the breaking ball away from me," he said. "They said they wanted to see just fastball/changeup." When minor league pitching coordinator Paul Menhart delivered the news, Bourque wasn't sure what to make of it. "The pitching coordinator called it my 'Linus blanket' and took that away from me," Bourque said. "For me,...

Comments

Tags:

davey martinez james bourque nationals nationals pastime pete kerzel spring training featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals2

Starting lineups: Nationals vs. Red Sox in West Palm Beach

March 05, 2019, 4:20am

Nationals

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - You'll notice something a little different today about the starting lineup for the Nationals in their game on MASN against the Red Sox. Max Scherzer is pitching. But for the first time this season, he'll also wield a bat in anger, becoming the first Nats pitcher to hit in a game. Up until this point, the Nats have employed a designated hitter while the pitchers concentrated on, well, pitching. Scherzer is no slouch with the bat, slashing .194/.227/.220 for his career....

Comments

Tags:

lineups nationals pete kerzel spring training west palm beach frontstory_nationals1

Martinez on rotation depth, Doolittle, Miller (Nats lose 9-8)

March 04, 2019, 6:44am

Nationals

Martinez on rotation depth, Doolittle, Miller (Nats lose 9-8)

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Everyone knows the Nationals have a powerful starting rotation - so long as the top five starting pitchers remain healthy. But what about the rotation depth? Manager Davey Martinez likes what he sees so far, and thinks there are enough pitchers to form a decent starting five at Triple-A Fresno plus back up the rotation in D.C. "I like where we're at right now," Martinez said Monday morning before departing for the Grapefruit League game in Jupiter against the Marlins....

Comments

Tags:

justin miller nationals nationals pastime pete kerzel rotation sean doolittle spring training featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Unclear future not weighing down focused Stevenson

March 03, 2019, 8:11am

Nationals

Unclear future not weighing down focused Stevenson

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - His future with the Nationals is about as clear as a mud bog in his hometown of Lafayette, La. - and that's perfectly OK with Andrew Stevenson. Bring up the subject of playing time and the talented outfielders who are ahead of him in the organizational pecking order, and the soft-spoken Stevenson doesn't really mince words. "It's tough to say," he said. "We've got a lot of good outfielders, so we'll just kind of see how it plays out and try to earn a spot. See...

Comments

Tags:

andrew stevenson davey martinez nationals nationals pastime pete kerzel spring training featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Marlins at Jupiter

March 04, 2019, 5:09am

Nationals

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Marlins at Jupiter

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Jeremy Hellickson faces the Marlins this afternoon, his second start of the spring. In his first Grapefruit League outing on Feb. 27 against the Astros, Hellickson went two scoreless innings, allowing a hit, a walk and striking out three. Ryan Zimmerman is back at first base today, and under manager Davey Martinez's plan of playing him every other game, the veteran will get the benefit of tomorrow off and Wednesday's scheduled off-day. A spring training oddity: Both...

Comments

Tags:

jeremy hellickson kurt suzuki lineups nationals nationals pastime pete kerzel ryan zimmerman spring training yan gomes frontstory_nationals2

On the Nationals' interest in signing Craig Kimbrel

March 03, 2019, 3:05pm

Nationals

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Though the Nationals are interested in signing Craig Kimbrel, they must overcome a significant hurdle before inking a deal with the free agent closer. Sources have confirmed that the Nationals front office would like to add Kimbrel to serve as their ninth-inning arm, but such a move would require ownership approval because a contract would eclipse the luxury tax threshold. So far, ownership is unwilling to exceed the luxury tax for a third consecutive season, the sources...

Comments

Tags:

craig kimbrel featured_sidebar nationals nationals pastime pete kerzel sean doolittle spring training trevor rosenthal frontstory_nationals3

Martinez appreciates the way SÃ¡nchez battles through adversity

March 03, 2019, 11:57am

Nationals

Martinez appreciates the way SÃ¡nchez battles through adversity

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The fly ball off the bat of the Astros' Michael Brantley sailed into short left-center field, no man's land in the middle of three Nationals trying to make a play. But it dropped between left fielder Juan Soto, shortstop Trea Turner and center fielder Victor Robles for a one-out, first-inning single instead of a hustling out recorded. After Carlos Correa's single put runners at the corners, Yuli Gurriel lofted a ball down the right field line, with the Nationals'...

Comments

Tags:

nationals nationals pastime anibal sanchez chuck taylor davey martinez juan soto pete kerzel spring training trea turner featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Martinez on rotation, plus other notes (Nats win 4-2)

March 03, 2019, 6:53am

Nationals

Martinez on rotation, plus other notes (Nats win 4-2)

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - It's only spring, but AnÃbal SÃ¡nchez will be trying to keep up a most impressive streak by the Nationals rotation in today's game against the Astros. The Nats' presumed five starters - right-handers Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, SÃ¡nchez and Jeremy Hellickson, and left-hander Patrick Corbin - have allowed just one earned run in 16 innings covering seven starts. Nats starters have yielded nine hits and two runs, walked three and fanned 16, posting a...

Comments

Tags:

davey martinez koda glover nationals nationals pastime pete kerzel rotation spring training victor robles featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Grace ready to build on breakthrough campaign

March 02, 2019, 7:48am

Nationals

Grace ready to build on breakthrough campaign

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - A breakthrough season in 2018 has pretty much cemented left-hander Matt Grace's place in the Nationals bullpen. Now the durable lefty is doing everything he can to keep his spot. "Just keep looking for what's next in that next level," Grace said. "Talk to guys like Max (Scherzer) and stuff like that. It's a never-ending pursuit of how you figure this stuff out. It's just keep going, keep competing, keep trying to refine what you got." Grace, 30, made a...

Comments

Tags:

davey martinez matt grace nationals nationals pastime pete kerzel spring training featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Astros at West Palm Beach

March 03, 2019, 5:06am

Nationals

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Astros at West Palm Beach

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Right-hander AnÃbal SÃ¡nchez makes his second start of the spring schedule when the Nationals entertain the Astros this afternoon at FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. In his first outing, Feb. 26 against the Cardinals, SÃ¡nchez threw two hitless innings, walking one and striking out one. Anthony Rendon gets today off, with Howie Kendrick taking over at third base. Kendrick has made 15 starts and 18 appearances at the hot corner during his major league career,...

Comments

Tags:

anibal sanchez anthony rendon howie kendrick nationals pete kerzel nationals pastime spring training frontstory_nationals1

Zimmerman, Martinez and Corbin speak after 10-6 victory

March 02, 2019, 11:30am

Nationals

Zimmerman, Martinez and Corbin speak after 10-6 victory

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - It didn't take long for the ball to find first baseman Ryan Zimmerman after he took the field for his thrice-delayed debut in Grapefruit League play. In the first inning he was on the back end of a 5-4-3 double play and then snagged a throw from shortstop Carter Kieboom to end the inning. In the second, Patrick Corbin got three groundball outs, all ending in Zimmerman's mitt. On the final play of the frame, Zimmerman ranged to his right to snag a sharp Alex Kirilloff...

Comments

Tags:

davey martinez nationals nationals pastime patrick corbin pete kerzel ryan zimmerman spring training featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Martinez on plan for Zimmerman, plus other notes (Nats win 10-6)

March 02, 2019, 5:34am

Nationals

Martinez on plan for Zimmerman, plus other notes (Nats win 10-6)

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Now that he's finally in the lineup, has Nationals manager Davey Martinez devised a plan for how much first baseman Ryan Zimmerman will play for the rest of camp? He has, and though he'll discuss it with Zimmerman later today, Martinez doesn't sound like he'll be deviating from what he's planned for the veteran. So far, he's not talking in specifics. "No, like I said, as long as he's good, I want him to participate and play games," Martinez said. Zimmerman was...

Comments

Tags:

brian dozier davey martinez nationals nationals pastime pete kerzel ryan zimmerman sean doolittle spring training featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Eaton's path to playing time is finally wide open

March 01, 2019, 2:56pm

Nationals

Eaton's path to playing time is finally wide open

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - There were times last season when Adam Eaton would slice a ball into the gap and briefly forget that trying to stretch a double into a triple might not be the best of ideas, given his surgically repaired ankle. When speed has been your calling card, learning to rein it in can be a challenge. After rehabbing from a grisly knee injury in his first year with the Nationals, an awkward slide into home plate landed Eaton back on the disabled list early last season. When he...

Comments

Tags:

adam eaton davey martinez nationals nationals pastime pete kerzel spring training trea turner featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Twins in West Palm Beach (updated)

March 02, 2019, 3:10am

Nationals

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Twins in West Palm Beach (updated)

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Ryan Zimmerman is in the Nationals lineup today against the Twins, the first time this spring he's played in a Grapefruit League game. He's hitting fourth and playing first base. Zimmerman was supposed to make his debut Wednesday, but was scratched when he came down with a bug that's been making its way through the clubhouse. It took him a couple of days to recover, and he went through drills in camp yesterday to prove that he was fit. It'll be interesting to see how...

Comments

Tags:

lineups nationals nationals pastime patrick corbin pete kerzel spring training frontstory_nationals1

Strasburg pleased with mechanical focus in first spring outing

March 01, 2019, 11:43am

Nationals

Strasburg pleased with mechanical focus in first spring outing

JUPITER, Fla. - Stephen Strasburg has been through enough spring trainings to understand that maximum effort doesn't always yield the most desired results. He's seen plenty of pitchers use their first game action of the spring to amp themselves up to the point that their mechanics suffer even if the radar gun readings rise. So in his first outing against Grapefruit League competition on Friday, the veteran right-hander kept it simple and focused on repeating his mechanics. He spent the...

Comments

Tags:

davey martinez justin miller nationals nationals pastime pete kerzel spring training stephen strasburg featured_sidebar frontstory_nationals3

Notes on Zimmerman, Strasburg and McKeon (Nats win 5-4)

March 01, 2019, 7:47am

Nationals

Notes on Zimmerman, Strasburg and McKeon (Nats win 5-4)

JUPITER, Fla. - Ryan Zimmerman seems to have weathered the worst of the illness making its way through the Nationals clubhouse, and the first baseman is staying back in camp in West Palm Beach today to go through drills. Manager Davey Martinez said that if Zimmerman gets through today's action without any issues, he should play Saturday when the Nats host the Twins in Grapefruit League action. "He's going to go through a workout today and we'll see where he's at," Martinez said. "I told...