VIERA, Fla. - Gio Gonzalez is excited to pitch for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, but the Nationals lefty will need to wait until the second round of the tournament before taking the mound for his country. Nats manager Davey Johnson was informed by Team USA pitching coach Greg Maddux that Gonzalez will pitch in the WBC March 12, should Team USA not be eliminated in the initial pool stage. This would allow Gonzalez to make three spring training starts for the Nationals, which Johnson...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Jair Jurrjens did more today than put on a uniform and participate in fielding drills. He also completed a bullpen session in the indoor batting cage. Jurrjens threw off a mound outside the media workroom around 11:55 a.m. before heading to the cage, where hitters were tracking pitches for the first time. You can't determine a lot from a side session, but he seemed to have a fluid motion during his 10-minute warmup. Minor league catcher Allan de San Miguel set the target for...

SARASOTA, Fla. - It's been a quiet morning here at the Ed Smith Stadium complex. A few players competed in bumper billiards and cornhole. Others talked, listened to music and munched on breakfast, courtesy of Kevin Gausman. Well, courtesy of his locker. Gausman arrived at 8 a.m. and found 35 packets of mini-powdered donuts taped around the edges of his locker. Bags were stuffed inside of it - enough that every player was given one later. A "Hostess" sign hung above his nameplate. Pitching...

VIERA, Fla. - With Rafael Soriano's visa issue in the past and all their position players having reported, the Nationals now have all 53 of their guys in camp. The physicals have all been taken, the eye and dental exams complete. It's time for the first official full-squad workout of spring. It's a chilly 40-degree morning here on the east coast of Florida, and before the Nationals take to the fields for bullpen sessions, batting practice and various drills, manager Davey Johnson will step...

SARASOTA, Fla. - You probably figured out a long time ago that manager Buck Showalter is on top of everything. Nothing gets past him, including the little things that mean more in the big picture. A few days ago, Showalter noticed how the first row of seats for a team meeting was occupied by guys like Matt Wieters, Jason Hammel, Darren O'Day, Jim Johnson and Pedro Strop. That's leadership. Here's another example: Kevin Gausman, taking part in his first major league camp after being the...

VIERA, Fla. - It was a very quiet morning out on the minor league fields today. Little of note actually went down, as pitchers and catchers took part in a basic rotation of drills that included bunting, pickoff throws to first base, comebackers, pickoff throws to second base and fielding dribblers up the line. The Nationals give their pitchers two days off after bullpen sessions early in spring, so with the "A" group of pitchers having thrown on Thursday and the "B" group taking the mound...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Another camp day is behind us and there are no injuries to report. Luis Ayala, Jim Johnson and Darren O'Day threw their first bullpen sessions in Group 2. Wei-Yin Chen, Jason Hammel and Chris Tillman threw in Group 1; Miguel Gonzalez, Mark Hendrickson and Pedro Strop in Group 3; Daniel McCutchen, Troy Patton and Daniel Schlereth in Group 4; and Mike Belfiore, Kevin Gausman and Eduardo Rodriguez in Group 5. Manager Buck Showalter said he will probably give Ayala, Johnson and...

VIERA, Fla. - Jayson Werth arrived at Space Coast Stadium today, took a look around the Nationals clubhouse and liked what he saw. Werth talked with reporters for more than 20 minutes this afternoon, covering a wide range of topics. But one of the first things Werth discussed was how talented the Nationals are. Such comments drew a question about whether Werth had even been on a team that was as complete on paper as this Nats squad. "Has there ever been a team that's this complete on...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette confirmed today that pitcher Jair Jurrjens' contract includes an opt-out clause if the right-hander begins the season in the minors and isn't promoted to the majors at a certain date. Duquette joked that he couldn't remember the exact date. Jurrjens originally agreed to a one-year, $1.5 million deal that included another $2.5 million in possible incentives, but he settled for a minor league contract after taking his...

SARASOTA, Fla. - Now that he's cleared waivers and been outrighted, Trayvon Robinson is part of the Orioles' camp roster and an extremely crowded outfield. Robinson, obtained from the Seattle Mariners in November for infielder Robert Andino, described his time on waivers as "just a week of misery, just thinking about it. "At the end of the day, I just want to get on the field and play." And try to make the opening day roster, which will prove to be a supreme challenge. Besides Nate...