Starting lineups: Nats vs. Cardinals in West Palm Beach

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Cardinals in West Palm Beach
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - It's a gray morning here in South Florida, and there appears to be rain in the forecast this afternoon. No idea yet if it will impact today's Nationals exhibition game against the Cardinals, but it is something to keep an eye on. Max Scherzer would certainly like to make his start as scheduled, his penultimate start of the spring before he takes the mound for opening day. Scherzer has had a few ragged starts this month and comes in having allowed nine runs and 14 hits...
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Hot bats mean cool treats for Nationals

Hot bats mean cool treats for Nationals
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - During these dog days of spring training, when the bus rides feel longer than usual and opening day is still just too far away to get excited about, some extra motivation is sometimes needed. So Davey Martinez made a promise to the young players who made the long trip to Fort Myers on Thursday: score 10 or more runs, and everybody would get to eat Popeyes on the ride home. They proceeded to defeat the Twins 10-4, so the bus smelled like chicken and biscuits for the next 2...
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Taylor will miss "significant" time with sprained knee, hip

Taylor will miss "significant" time with sprained knee, hip
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - This morning's MRI of Michael A. Taylor's left leg revealed both a sprained knee and hip, and the Nationals outfielder is going to miss a "significant" amount of time while recovering, according to manager Davey Martinez. "It stinks," Martinez said following the Nats' 11-3 exhibition victory over the Mets. "It's a little bit more than we were hoping for. But he's going to rehab, and as soon as we get him back, we get him back." Taylor injured himself making a...
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Just-signed Sipp ready to face multiple challenges (Nats win 11-3)

Just-signed Sipp ready to face multiple challenges (Nats win 11-3)
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - Tony Sipp arrived at Nationals camp Thursday and immediately threw his first bullpen session with the club that signed him to a $1 million contract the previous day. He hasn't faced any live hitters yet, obviously hasn't appeared in any spring training games and certainly hasn't appeared in back-to-back games, all hurdles he'll need to cross before joining the Nats' active roster. So the pertinent question this morning when Sipp met with reporters in West Palm Beach...
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Taylor getting MRI on injured knee and hip

Taylor getting MRI on injured knee and hip
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Michael A. Taylor is getting an MRI on both his left knee and left hip today, leaving the Nationals to potentially cope with a thin outfield following Thursday's injury on a diving catch in Fort Myers. Taylor hurt himself diving to snag a Byron Buxton drive to right-center during the Nationals' 10-4 exhibition victory over the Twins, revealing today the turf was "a little soft and my knee stuck in the ground." Taylor was still limping in the clubhouse this morning as...
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Starting lineups: Nats vs. Mets in Port St. Lucie

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Mets in Port St. Lucie
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - It was pouring in West Palm Beach this morning, but the forecast is dry only 51 miles north at Mets camp, where the Nationals face their division rivals this afternoon. It's mostly regulars in the Nats lineup, but there's one interesting twist: Matt Adams in starting in left field for the first time this spring. Davey Martinez just revealed Michael A. Taylor is heading out to get an MRI on both his left knee and hip following yesterday's painful diving catch in Fort...
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Fedde makes most of lone opportunity to start this spring

Fedde makes most of lone opportunity to start this spring
FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Nationals don't make many long spring training road trips anymore, not since relocating headquarters from remote Viera to more accessible West Palm Beach. So the few 2 1/2-hour bus rides they still have on the schedule each spring tend to elicit more substantial groans from everyone involved. Not everyone, though, was upset to ride the bus all the way across the state to Fort Myers for Thursday's game with the Twins. Erick Fedde viewed it as a golden opportunity. "I...
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Taylor injures left knee making diving catch (updated)

Taylor injures left knee making diving catch (updated)
FORT MYERS, Fla. - Michael A. Taylor was forced to prematurely depart today's exhibition game in the third inning, shortly after the Nationals center fielder injured his left knee making a diving catch. Taylor's impressive catch of Byron Buxton's second-inning drive to right-center drew oohs and applause from the crowd at the Twins' spring training complex, but the reaction turned quiet as Taylor remained on the ground and manager Davey Martinez and director of athletic training Paul...
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Will Sipp and Kendrick be ready for opening day? (Nats win 10-4)

Will Sipp and Kendrick be ready for opening day? (Nats win 10-4)
FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Nationals plan for both Tony Sipp and Howie Kendrick to hold significant roles on their roster this season. The question, with two weeks to go, is whether either will be on the opening day roster. Sipp, whose signing of a one-year contract with a mutual option for 2020 was officially announced today, has thrown only one bullpen session so far, according to manager Davey Martinez, who spoke with the veteran lefty this morning in West Palm Beach before the Nationals boarded...
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Starting lineups: Nats vs. Twins in Fort Myers

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Twins in Fort Myers
FORT MYERS, Fla. - Hello from the Gulf Coast side of the state. The Nationals have traveled across Alligator Alley for only the second time this spring, this time to face the Twins. This is Aníbal Sánchez's day to pitch, but the veteran elected to stay back in West Palm Beach and face minor leaguers on one of the back fields. So it'll be Erick Fedde getting his first actual start of the spring. Fedde, who has had an erratic camp to date, could certainly use a solid outing today, perhaps...
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Projecting the 25-man roster with two weeks to go

Projecting the 25-man roster with two weeks to go
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - We are, believe it or not, only two weeks away from opening day. Yes, a mere 14 days from now Max Scherzer will be taking the mound at Nationals Park to face Jacob deGrom and the Mets in the opener not only of a potentially dramatic season but of a potentially dramatic first two weeks to the season. The Nationals play their first 11 games against the Mets and Phillies, two division rivals who made big moves this winter and spring to try to improve, one of those moves of...
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On the Eaton-Turner-Soto lineup, Corbin's start and more

On the Eaton-Turner-Soto lineup, Corbin's start and more
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Thoughts, observations and quotes from the Nationals' 8-4 victory over the Braves today ... * Though he has been touting the Trea Turner-Adam Eaton 1-2 combo atop his lineup for the last week-plus, Davey Martinez has flip-flopped the duo in each of the last two games they've started. And today offered some evidence of the benefits of that arrangement. Eaton led off the game drawing a walk, then moments later coasted around the bases on Turner's two-run homer to left....
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Rizzo on Sipp: "He's a really good value for us" (Nats win 8-4)

Rizzo on Sipp: "He's a really good value for us" (Nats win 8-4)
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Nationals had been interested in Tony Sipp all winter, but it took until this morning before they and the veteran left-hander could agree to terms on a contract. Sipp, who in 2016 got a three-year, $18 million contract from the Astros, waited out the market, hoping for a significant contract. In the end, he settled for a one-year deal from the Nationals, with $1 million in guaranteed salary this season and a $2.5 million mutual option (or $250,000 buyout) for 2020,...
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Starting lineups: Nats vs. Braves in West Palm Beach

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Braves in West Palm Beach
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - It's been a busy morning already around here, with the Nationals having just signed veteran lefty Tony Sipp to a one-year contract and having apparently made some cuts from big league camp as well. (Saw at least four guys cleaning out their lockers earlier, but nothing has been officially announced yet.) There's also a game to be played this afternoon, with the Braves making the long trek down the turnpike to face their division rivals. Kevin Gausman is today's...
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Source: Nats adding veteran lefty Sipp to bullpen

Source: Nats adding veteran lefty Sipp to bullpen
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Nationals are bringing in an experienced left-handed reliever after all. The Nats have agreed to terms with veteran Tony Sipp on a one-year contract with an option for 2020, a source familiar with the deal confirmed. Sipp, 35, will need to pass a physical before the contract is official, but he's expected to report to spring training within the next few days. Sipp fills an obvious need for the Nationals, though one club officials had been downplaying in significance...
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Older, wiser Strasburg less worried about velocity than in past

Older, wiser Strasburg less worried about velocity than in past
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - It's the simplest pitch in baseball. A first-pitch fastball, preferably taken for strike one. But it's also the most predictable pitch in baseball. And it has burned Stephen Strasburg enough times over the years to convince him to start trying something different. So during his Tuesday night outing against the Astros, Strasburg often eschewed that first-pitch fastball and instead opened up at-bats with a breaking ball or a changeup. "I've always had a lot of...
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Kieboom enjoys two-homer night vs. Verlander

Kieboom enjoys two-homer night vs. Verlander
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Carter Kieboom stepped to the plate in the bottom of the second tonight, dug in and stared out at a pitcher who needed no introduction. Yes, that was Justin Verlander, future Hall of Famer, preparing to deliver a pitch to Kieboom, potential future infielder for the Nationals. The gap in experience was striking: When Verlander made his first career World Series start for the 2006 Tigers, Kieboom had just turned 9. "I think I'd be lying if I said I didn't know who was...
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Union chief says players are "engaged and unified" (Nats win 5-3)

Union chief says players are "engaged and unified" (Nats win 5-3)
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - As he has traveled across Arizona and Florida this spring, Tony Clark has spoken with players from countless ballclubs that were criticized for a lack of spending during the offseason. When he walked into the Nationals clubhouse today, the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association found a group of players who shouldn't have had as much reason to criticize, given the aggressive approach to free agency this team took all winter. And yet the...
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Starting lineups: Nats vs. Astros in West Palm Beach

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Astros in West Palm Beach
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Nationals have another night game this evening, one of five on the schedule this spring. And this one is worthy of a primetime matchup, because it's Stephen Strasburg versus Justin Verlander. Strasburg makes his third Grapefruit League start, and he has yet to surrender a run in six innings of work. He'll look to continue that run tonight and extend himself deeper into the game. Verlander will be facing a Nationals lineup that doesn't include many big names. With...
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Tuesday morning Nats Q&A

Tuesday morning Nats Q&A
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Nationals have another night game this evening, so that means there's some free time this morning. And since it's been a while since we did one of these, how about we take advantage of the free time for a spring training version of the Q&A? Submit your questions in the comments section below, then check back for my answers. I'll do my best to offer up some insight (provided I actually have some).
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