Nationals shortstop Trea Turner was part of the infield group that got in a good workout Tuesday during summer training at Nats Park. On the field he wore his red field mask, covering his mouth, nose, ears and hair. Players normally wear that sort of gear only in cold weather. “Just messing around with that,” Turner said during a Zoom video call with reporters. “I ... read more
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 ... read more
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 ... read more
Nationals manager Davey Martinez said one major issue with trying to play baseball amid the coronavirus pandemic is that he cannot yet get the entire team together on the field at one time. The “circle of trust” was a big rallying cry for the club the last couple of spring trainings under Martinez’s direction, but with current safety protocols in place, it just isn’t possible. ... read more
The Nationals had the oldest clubhouse in the major leagues last season. That type of experience and leadership was important to their success. This season, many of those same veterans are back, but the club must adjust without guys like Anthony Rendon and Ryan Zimmerman. Manager Davey Martinez was asked Saturday who he felt might step up to take on a more vigorous leadership role ... read more
Right-hander Mason Denaburg, the Nationals’ top overall selection from the 2018 First-Year Player Draft, has been been progressing well from a shoulder cleanout we reported earlier this winter. Three of the Nats’ top four first-round selections the past four drafts are in the current 60-man player pool, including Cade Cavalli, Jackson Rutledge and Seth Romero. Because he is undergoing rehab following the procedure on his ... read more
The Nationals enter day two of summer training at Nats Park with the schedule spread out over 11 hours so the players and coaches are never in big groups. General manager Mike Rizzo said his pitchers hit the ground running on Friday and returned looking like they had taken advantage of the three-and-a-half-month pause due to the coronavirus shutdown, especially Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg and ... read more
Nationals manager Davey Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo understand that being successful in the world of Major League Baseball during the coronavirus pandemic boils down to two main challenges: staying safe and playing good baseball. From day one of summer training at Nats Park today, the skipper for the defending world champions already feels the difference in playing baseball during a pandemic. “We have ... read more
