VIERA, Fla. - The Nationals' Grapefruit League season is over. The bags in the home clubhouse at Space Coast Stadium are all packed and the players are dressed and ready for their flight up to D.C. Thirty-three spring training games are in the books. Only tomorrow's exhibition against the Yankees at Nats Park and two days off stand between the Nationals and the 2013 regular season. "We're ready to get out of here," manager Davey Johnson said after this afternoon's 5-1 win over the Mets....

SARASOTA, Fla. - Jair Jurrjens sat at his locker as reporters approached him this afternoon, which was no small feat. Jurrjens is still sore after being nailed in the right ribcage last night by a line drive from the Yankees' Thomas Neal. X-rays were negative, but Jurrjens is positive that he's in pain. "I feel really sore and a little bit stiff," he said. "I'm going to see how it feels after some treatment and see what game plan they have for me. "It's the same as last night. It's...

VIERA, Fla. - It's 5-1 Nationals here in the eighth inning at Space Coast Stadium in what's turned into a minor league game. Neil Holland, who spent nearly all of last season at high Single-A Potomac, has worked the last two innings for the Nats. Remarkably, despite having been with the Nationals for two full springs now, Gio Gonzalez hadn't made a start at Space Coast Stadium until today. All five of his Grapefruit League outings last spring came on the road, and his first four big league...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Wei-Yin Chen made his final start today before taking the ball for the second game of the regular season at Tropicana Field. He faced the Tampa Bay Rays, but the Triple-A version. Chen threw 82 pitches in five innings and allowed a run on Brandon Guyer's homer to center field. He issued one walk. "This was a really good accomplishment," Chen said through his interpreter, Tim Lin. "I feel like I accomplished something today. The first two innings, I couldn't feel...

VIERA, Fla. - There weren't too many called strikes taken by Nationals hitters in their final Grapefruit League at-bats this afternoon. Everyone is eager to get the heck out of here and make their way up to D.C. The Nationals attacked Mets starter Domingo Tapia today, pouncing on early pitches in the zone and doing some damage with them. Adam LaRoche crushed a solo homer way out to right leading off the second, and two batters later, Danny Espinosa followed with a longball of his...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Pitcher Jair Jurrjens had X-rays taken on his right ribcage this morning and he's waiting for a team physician to review them and pass along the results. Jurrjens said he's still bothered by soreness and stiffness on his right side. He had difficulty sitting down at his locker. Update: Jurrjens' X-rays were negative. He will take today off and could pitch later in the week if the soreness subsides. Also, outfielder Trayvon Robinson is still day-to-day with soreness in his...

This spring has been a confusing one. The only cherry blossoms we have seen were the white puffs of snow clinging to the branches several days ago. Nationals spring training hasn't blossomed the way we thought either. The expectations are so different after winning 98 games in 2012. We want to win them all, even the ones in March. Like the osprey soaring on March winds above Viera, the Nationals have ridden Bryce Harper's bat on one day only to be grounded the next as the pitching staff is...

VIERA, Fla. - After getting his second game off in a five-day span in order to rest a sore left thumb, Bryce Harper is back in the Nationals lineup for today's Grapefruit League finale against the Mets. Harper sat out yesterday's game against the Braves after getting jammed the day prior in a two-hit performance in Jupiter. He said his thumb felt better when he woke up yesterday, and the thumb had improved enough by today that he was cleared to return to the lineup. "He wanted one or two...

VIERA, Fla. - Yesterday, we learned that both Henry Rodriguez and J.C. Romero would make the trip to D.C. with the Nationals following this afternoon's Grapefruit League finale, leaving the two relievers in the mix for the final spot in the Nats' bullpen. Today, manager Davey Johnson said that unless Rodriguez suffers some kind of injury when he appears in tomorrow's exhibition game against the Yankees at Nats Park, the flame-throwing right-hander would get that final bullpen spot, with...

What will happen in the American League this year? Here's a team-by-team look at the AL, the top storylines, key players to watch and one man's predictions. BALTIMORE ORIOLES Storyline: General manager Dan Duquette and manager Buck Showalter have brought stability and a winning attitude to the Orioles, who expect to contend with the rotation in developing stages. The Orioles, the No. 2 wild card team last season, have a deep bullpen to go with a tight defense and strong offense, but...