Baker on return to Cincinnati and how he will monitor Harper tonight

CINCINNATI - Nationals manager Dusty Baker admitted it was a bit odd in his return to Cincinnati for the first time since he managed here for six seasons from 2008-2013, this time on the visitor's team bus.

"It was a little strange on the bus last night coming in because ordinarily I'd think I'd be coming off a road trip coming back to my place and what the series was gonna be coming up or what the last series on the road was like coming home," Baker explained. He finished with 509 victories here and twice ended the season in first place.

"It did help me that I came here to the Freedom Center to do something last November," he said. "That helped me come back and here and see some changes and some people that I knew. I know a lot of people and there are a lot of people here that were good to me."

Baker got a chance to reminisce a bit yesterday during the Nationals' day off when he visited old friends.

"I went and saw my barber, went and got a cut," Baker said. "Guys were talking stuff in the barber shop and most people they start to tell you that they miss ya. Then I start thinking about way back a long time ago an old girlfriend that told me they missed me even though they broke up with me. And maybe you weren't so bad after all."

As for his new team, the first-place Nationals, Baker had good news in his starting lineup with the return of slugger Bryce Harper.

Harper had missed two games with a bruised knee suffered in Philadelphia. But Baker will still be cautious to see how the right fielder looks on defense.

"We don't know that actually until we get out on the field," Baker said. "Bryce will kind of let you know what he can do and can't do. As of right now, no I don't see any limitations unless I see him kinda limp or legs get tired late in the game or whatever, so as of right now I don't see any."

The lineup also features freshly called up Trea Turner at second base, and NL Player of the Month Daniel Murphy at first base. Murphy has played in 190 games in his career at first base, with 171 starts over six seasons.

How many reps did Murphy get in preparation for playing first tonight?

"Not many," Baker said. "With Zim and (Clint) Robinson there was really no need. But I had told him on Wednesday, no Tuesday night that he would probably be playing first base today. So he went in and got some ground balls on Wednesday, so I don't see any problems. At least I gave him one days notice. Usually about all you get anyway or less."

Tonight's starter Gio Gonzalez has really struggled his last two games, allowing a combined 13 earned runs.

Anything to be alarmed about?

"Nah, just couple bad outings, Baker said. "If he could fix something from outing to outing, I'd fix it. It's a matter of him getting deeper in the ballgame, him staying out of the bad inning, which applies to every pitcher.

"And you got to keep those crooked numbers off the board at some point in time and limit it to one run hopefully. We know these guys they're not high in the standings but they can hit. Their runners in scoring position batting and their batting averages and you're certainly going to have to outscore them to beat them so that was our objective this weekend."

Gonzalez has a career ERA of 1.83 against the Reds in six career starts.