Zimmerman homers, feels good in first game in a year

Zimmerman homers, feels good in first game in a year
Three hundred fifty-six days had passed since Ryan Zimmerman last took the field for an organized game of baseball. The world was a lot different back on March 10, 2020, when the Nationals faced the Marlins in Jupiter, Fla. Though the coronavirus was in the news, nobody imagined it would have the power to shut down the entire country two days later. So much has happened since then, and so much has changed. Yet when he trotted out to first base just after 1 p.m. today in West Palm Beach for the...
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Soto's spring debut delayed by foul ball off the foot

Soto's spring debut delayed by foul ball off the foot
Juan Soto was all set to make his 2021 spring debut today in the Nationals' home opener in West Palm Beach, Fla. Then an errant foul ball foiled those plans and delayed the slugger's debut for at least a couple of days. Soto fouled a ball off his right foot during a live batting practice session Sunday, manager Davey Martinez said. Though the Nationals aren't considering this a serious injury, they didn't want to risk putting their young star on the field today, a full month before the...
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Lineups: Nats vs. Astros in West Palm Beach

Lineups: Nats vs. Astros in West Palm Beach
The Nationals play their first home game of the spring this afternoon, and there's good news and bad news. The good news: Ryan Zimmerman is in the lineup for the first time in nearly a year. The bad news: Juan Soto, who was supposed to be in the lineup, is not. Soto fouled a ball off his right foot during a live batting practice session Sunday, according to Davey Martinez. The manager said they're just being cautious, and Soto should be good to go in a day or two. But as always with these...
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In spring debut, Fedde rides 28-pitch roller coaster

In spring debut, Fedde rides 28-pitch roller coaster
The last thing Erick Fedde wanted to do in his first inning of the spring Sunday was get into a bases-loaded jam before recording an out, then watch as Nolan Arenado strode to the plate and received a standing ovation for his first at-bat with the Cardinals. And when he promptly spiked a sinker in the dirt to bring home a run, Fedde's 2021 debut appeared on the brink of collapse. But then, an adjustment. And a flip of the script, turning a potentially disastrous first inning in Jupiter, Fla.,...
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A sense of normalcy in Nationals' first spring game with fans

A sense of normalcy in Nationals' first spring game with fans
Normalcy - or, at least, some semblance of normalcy - returned to Florida today. On an 82-degree Sunday afternoon in Jupiter that included abundant sunshine at times and popup showers at others, the Nationals and Cardinals played a baseball game. At 1:05 p.m., Victor Robles dug in at the plate and took a 94-mph fastball from Jack Flaherty for strike one. Trea Turner singled and advanced Andrew Stevenson to third on a hit-and-run. Josh Bell took a 3-2 slider at the knees for a walk, and home...
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Robles gets first chance to lead off, starters being eased in

Robles gets first chance to lead off, starters being eased in
The last thing anyone should do is read much into spring training lineups, certainly the lineup on Feb. 28. And yet it's impossible to look at the Nationals lineup for today's Grapefruit League opener and not begin to infer some things. Specifically, the guys who are leading off and batting third. That would be Victor Robles and Trea Turner. Just as he suggested last week, manager Davey Martinez is going to take a look at Robles atop his lineup, a move that would allow Turner to move down...
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Lineups: Nats vs. Cardinals in Jupiter

Lineups: Nats vs. Cardinals in Jupiter
And away we go ... Yes, there's a ballgame today in Florida. The Nationals are playing the Cardinals in Jupiter, the first of 24 games on the Grapefruit League schedule. And there are a whole lot of starters playing for both clubs. Davey Martinez's lineup includes Victor Robles leading off and Trea Turner batting third (yep, they really are going to test this out this spring). It doesn't include Juan Soto, but it does feature a 4-5-6 of Josh Bell, Kyle Schwarber and Starlin Castro. If you...
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Nats ready for nine (possibly shortened) innings and fans

Nats ready for nine (possibly shortened) innings and fans
It's been 154 days since the Nationals last played a baseball game. Exactly 22 weeks since they wrapped up the bizarre 2020 season with a 15-5 thumping of the Mets. As was the case for the entire 60-game campaign, there were zero fans in attendance. So imagine the feeling everyone in uniform has as they wake up this morning, look at the calendar and realize they're not only going to play a ballgame today, but they're going to play it in front of fans. Yep, the 2021 Grapefruit League opens...
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After derailed 2020, Castro ready to show Nats who he is

After derailed 2020, Castro ready to show Nats who he is
Starlin Castro is one of the most accomplished hitters in baseball, a four-time All-Star who has received votes for Rookie of the Year and MVP. He's led the National League in hits. He was on every top prospects list when he first sped through the Cubs' farm system more than a decade ago. He's 19th among all active players with 1,633 hits, and everyone ahead of him on the list has played in at least 131 more big league games than he has. Yet ask someone to name the most important members of...
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Bell ready to be the guy who hits behind Soto

Bell ready to be the guy who hits behind Soto
The most important hit in Nationals history - well, until he produced an even more important hit three weeks later - came moments after the opponents intentionally walked Juan Soto. Yep, it's easy to forget now what preceded Howie Kendrick's 10th-inning grand slam at Dodger Stadium in Game 5 of the 2019 National League Division Series, but it was indeed an intentional walk of Soto. The Dodgers weren't about to let the then-20-year-old sensation beat them in a winner-take-all game. They would...
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After year away, Zimmerman relishing return to Nats

After year away, Zimmerman relishing return to Nats
Though a few things have changed since he last walked into the Nationals clubhouse - like the mandatory COVID-19 testing and temperature checks, the spaced-out lockers and the fact everyone must wear a mask indoors - Ryan Zimmerman feels far more a sense of familiarity right now at his home away from home. "It's good to be back out here and kind of going through the day-to-day grind again," he said. "I missed that part, for sure." It's been nearly a year since Zimmerman was last with his...
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Kieboom tries to block out the noise and trust himself

Kieboom tries to block out the noise and trust himself
Carter Kieboom has heard all your theories. That he wasn't aggressive enough at the plate. That he was hampered by an injury. That he couldn't handle the pressure of replacing Anthony Rendon at third base. And he heard all the chatter this winter about his future with the Nationals. That the club was going to trade for a new third baseman, either Kris Bryant or maybe Eugenio Suárez. Or sign a free agent who would bump him out of the lineup, like Justin Turner or DJ LeMahieu. Here, though,...
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Notes on Scherzer, Jeffress, live BP and exhibition games

Notes on Scherzer, Jeffress, live BP and exhibition games
For the first time this spring, all 72 players in the Nationals' big league camp were on the field and participating today. On the second day of full-squad workouts, the only two pitchers who had yet to participate (Javy Guerra and Jeremy Jeffress) were cleared to join their teammates. Guerra, who had been in Arizona with his wife as she gave birth in recent days, arrived in West Palm Beach, Fla., on Monday and on Tuesday cleared his mandatory intake testing. Jeffress, meanwhile, passed his...
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How will the Turner-Soto Era of Nationals baseball be defined?

How will the Turner-Soto Era of Nationals baseball be defined?
The Nationals, like every franchise, have been through multiple eras over the years. Break down their 17 seasons in the District into smaller chunks, and you can rattle off each of those eras with only a handful of names. The Frank Robinson Era. The Ryan Zimmerman Era. The Adam Dunn Era. The Stephen Strasburg-Jordan Zimmermann Era. The Bryce Harper-Jayson Werth Era. The Max Scherzer-Strasburg-Anthony Rendon Championship Club. And now, the Trea Turner-Juan Soto Era. Make no mistake, that's the...
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Turner, Soto grapple with question of long-term extensions

Turner, Soto grapple with question of long-term extensions
The questions were inevitable. When a star homegrown player approaching free agency reports for spring training, he's going to be asked about contract discussions. And when it happens only days after one of baseball's brightest young stars signs a gargantuan extension with his club, it's a foregone conclusion. So neither Trea Turner nor Juan Soto could've been surprised today when the subject came up in their respective first Zoom sessions with reporters of 2021. On the heels of Fernando...
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Scherzer throws off mound, full squad takes field for first time

Scherzer throws off mound, full squad takes field for first time
Max Scherzer was back on a mound this morning in West Palm Beach, Fla., throwing pitches (albeit not many and not at full velocity) for the first time since a sprained left ankle sidetracked him two weeks ago. Scherzer was cleared to resume throwing off the bullpen mound. He wound up throwing 10 pitches, "very light," according to manager Davey Martinez. "We just wanted to see him land on that foot," Martinez said during his daily Zoom session with reporters. "He said he felt good. We'll...
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With deep bullpen, Nats think they're set to close games

With deep bullpen, Nats think they're set to close games
If you wanted to try to distill the story of the Nationals bullpen over the last several seasons into one simplified narrative, it would be this: Davey Martinez didn't trust enough guys to pitch in high-leverage situations, forcing the manager to overuse his one or two best relievers, which sometimes led to ineffectiveness or injury. It's a pattern that has often repeated itself around here, and it's one Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo appear determined to avoid in 2021. And how...
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Scherzer throwing on flat ground, Lester happy to blend in

Scherzer throwing on flat ground, Lester happy to blend in
The Nationals aren't about to let Max Scherzer rush his way back from a sprained ankle, but as their ace continues to shows signs of progress, they will let him progressively ramp himself back up to the point where he's caught up to everyone else in camp. Scherzer took an important step in that process over the last two days when he was able to throw on flat ground and work out without reporting any significant issues with his left ankle. Scherzer threw from 60 feet Sunday and "felt...
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Nationals adding another accomplished reliever in Jeffress

Nationals adding another accomplished reliever in Jeffress
A Nationals bullpen that already looked deep on paper could be getting a boost from another experienced arm: right-hander Jeremy Jeffress, who has agreed to a minor league deal with an invitation to big league camp, manager Davey Martinez confirmed this afternoon. "He's got to come in, take his intake test, take a physical and then we'll know more after that," Martinez said from West Palm Beach, Fla., during his daily Zoom session with reporters. "But if everything goes well, I'm excited...
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Martinez searching for way to move Turner out of leadoff spot

Martinez searching for way to move Turner out of leadoff spot
Trea Turner already had established himself as one of the best leadoff hitters in baseball. Then over the course of 60 dominant games in 2020, the Nationals shortstop established himself as one of the best offensive players in baseball, period. Don't believe it? Look at the numbers. Last season Turner ranked fifth in the majors in batting average (.335), fifth in runs scored (46), first in hits (78), third in total bases (137), sixth in extra base hits (31), 12th in slugging percentage (.588),...
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