Nationals 2018 first-round selection Mason Denaburg told me his recovery from a right shoulder cleanout last October is progressing nicely. After the Nats decided to take a precautionary step of slowing down his rehab during spring training, the right-hander is now doing so well that he is about to take that next step in his rehab throwing program. "I should be throwing bullpens in the next three weeks," Denaburg said. "I go 150 feet throwing-wise, the next week 180 feet and then the week...

The Washington Nationals - in conjunction with Major League Baseball - announced their 60-game 2020 schedule on Monday, along with a three-game exhibition slate. The 16th season of Nationals baseball will commence with an Opening Day matchup on ESPN against the New York Yankees at Nationals Park on Thursday, July 23rd at 7:08 p.m. ET. The opening of the 2020 season marks the first time the Nationals have held Opening Day at home in consecutive seasons since 2010 vs. Philadelphia and 2011 vs....

Major League Baseball's attempt to play the 2020 season will begin at Nationals Park with a nationally televised matchup between the reigning World Series champions and the sport's most storied franchise. The Nationals will host the Yankees on July 23 at 7:08 p.m., the first half of an opening night doubleheader on ESPN that - if successfully pulled off - will serve as the highly anticipated return of major professional team sports in America. MLB's shortened, 60-game planned schedule, which...

We recently learned a couple of things that could have a long-range benefit for the Orioles. Major League Baseball has pushed back the end of the current international amateur signing period to Oct. 15, 2020 and the Orioles have nearly $1.6 million remaining from their original pool of $6.48 million to sign players. This is not to be confused with the start of the next signing period. That has been pushed back from the usual July 2 to Jan. 15, 2021 and will run through Dec. 15, 2021. The period...

We're now almost a week into the resumption of baseball activities after an abrupt and unwelcome hiatus. And while baseball has undergone many changes over its long evolution, it has never seen such wholesale alteration of the way things are done. Hand-sanitizing stations, daily temperature checks and frequent testing for COVID-19 have become the everyday reality for everyone involved in the sport. The players are doing their best to keep their distance from one another while at the same time...

Multiple teams canceled their morning workouts today, including the Nationals and Astros, due to the delays in receiving results of the COVID-19 testing over the weekend that's done on a regular basis as camps opened across the country. Other teams have pushed back their workouts. The Orioles gathered at Camden Yards for their fourth workout, pitchers and position players subjected to a stifling heat that's never going to be the most pronounced health risk in 2020. No one on the team is known...

During his Zoom interview session with reporters today, Orioles right-handed reliever Miguel Castro was asked about the growing number of players opting out of playing this season around the sport. Among the latest today is Atlanta Braves outfielder Nick Markakis, a former Oriole. Did Castro have any concerns about reporting to the O's camp and playing this year? "It is very unfortunate what is really happening," Castro said through translator Ramón Alarcón. "Right now, the best you...

The Fredericksburg Nationals announced today that the parent Nationals' alternate site for summer training player workouts will be at the new ballpark in Fredericksburg, Va. The club announced the first practice for the Nats' taxi squad is scheduled for tomorrow in Fredericksburg. The Nationals began summer training Friday at Nats Park. Opening day is scheduled for July 23. The new ballpark in Fredericksburg is the home stadium for the high Single-A FredNats, who were expected to begin play...

They don't call Ryan Zimmerman "Mr. Walk-off" without good reason. He's got 11 walk-off homers to his credit, and the notion of coming through in the clutch with the game on the line isn't a foreign concept to the longtime Nationals slugger, who has announced he will sit out the 2020 season over concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. Well, the next best thing to seeing Zimmerman walk off an opponent live is seeing it on MASN - and that's where this week's slate of walk-off-heavy...

The Nationals have called off today's scheduled workouts at Nationals Park amid concerns about the delay in getting COVID-19 test results back from Major League Baseball's lab. Despite assurances from MLB that results sent to the league's lab in Salt Lake City would be available 24 hours after testing, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said players and staff members still haven't received results from the tests they all took 72 hours ago. "We cannot have our players and staff work at...