Milone sets tone with solid spring debut (Nats lose 3-2)

Milone sets tone with solid spring debut (Nats lose 3-2)
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Tommy Milone would need a lot of things - bad things, from the Nationals' perspective - to happen to find his way into the opening day rotation. But a few more outings like he offered up today and the journeyman left-hander, if nothing else, will have made a strong impression on the club's decision-makers, which could pay off down the road. Handed the ball to start today's Grapefruit League opener, Milone set the tone with a solid two-inning performance that was as...
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Eaton not playing yet, Rizzo not looking for starter

Eaton not playing yet, Rizzo not looking for starter
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - If he had his way, Adam Eaton would have been playing in games weeks ago. There weren't any games to play weeks ago, of course, so today's Grapefruit League opener was the first opportunity for the Nationals left fielder to make his return from a torn ACL. That return isn't happening quite yet, though. Eaton (like all of his lineup regulars) is not playing this afternoon against the Astros. Manager Davey Martinez didn't offer any specifics about the plan to work...
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Starting lineups: Nats vs. Astros in West Palm Beach (updated)

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Astros in West Palm Beach (updated)
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - No, it doesn't count. No, it won't feature many recognizable names. But you know what? It's still a baseball game and it's going to be played today. Yes, the Grapefruit League has arrived, and not a moment too soon for fans who have patiently waited since October for the Nationals to take the field once again. Today's exhibition opener will be played in the Nats' home ballpark but it won't be a Nats home game. The World Series champion Astros get to play host for...
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Final workout features sliding, roof shots and old-school hip-hop

Final workout features sliding, roof shots and old-school hip-hop
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The final day of workouts of spring training featured the familiar (music on the field, pitchers throwing in the bullpen, hitters taking batting practice) and the unfamiliar (sliding practice, Bob Henley showing off his knowledge of old-school hip-hop). We'll get to that last eye-opener in a moment. With teams dealing with a compressed window for getting all workouts in before Friday's Grapefruit League opener against the Astros - the Nationals had only three...
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Don't expect to see regulars in early spring games (updated)

Don't expect to see regulars in early spring games (updated)
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Though the exhibition season is about to get underway, there are still five weeks to go until opening day. So don't be surprised when you see the Nationals lineup for Friday's Grapefruit League opener against the Astros and don't find many prominent names. "We're trying to see all our young guys early," manager Davey Martinez said. "I wouldn't read into that stuff early. We want to give our guys a chance to see everybody, because there's so many young guys. ......
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Rendon keeps it simple and keeps producing for Nats

Rendon keeps it simple and keeps producing for Nats
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Anthony Rendon isn't one to analyze ... well, much of anything. Maybe he'll break down his beloved Houston Rockets' chances of unseating the Golden State Warriors in the NBA's Western Conference, or offer a slight glimpse into his rationale for cutting his once-flowing locks of hair. But he's not about to get into a deep conversation about the state of his swing, his defense at third base or really anything having to do with baseball. "Keep it simple," is...
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Scherzer uses live BP session vs. Harper for instant feedback

Scherzer uses live BP session vs. Harper for instant feedback
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - With such a short timeframe between reporting day and the open of Grapefruit League play, the Nationals are trying to squeeze a lot into only a few full-squad workouts. Position players have only officially been in camp for two days but already they've done the kind of baserunning drills typically reserved for later in spring and held two days' worth of live batting practice sessions. Whether these guys will be ready for real game action in less than 48 hours - they...
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Contract official, Benoit tries to fit right in with Nats bullpen

Contract official, Benoit tries to fit right in with Nats bullpen
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Joaquín Benoit has played for good teams and bad teams. He has appeared in 20 postseason games (three of those in the World Series) and he's played out the string in September for clubs that were going nowhere. Now 40, with far fewer days ahead of him than behind him, Benoit's priorities have changed. When looking for a job this winter and spring, he sought only two things: a major league contract and a chance to win. That made the Nationals, who officially...
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Nats hitters excited to jump aboard Long's launch angle train

Nats hitters excited to jump aboard Long's launch angle train
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - It takes less than three minutes listening to Kevin Long talk about hitting to fully understand this guy is operating on a different level from mere mortals. Want to know what the batting average on all ground balls put into play is? Long knows (.220). Want to know the average distance from the side of the rubber that a right-hander releases his pitch versus the average distance for a lefty? Long knows (2 feet vs. 2 1/2 feet.) Want to know about launch angles and hitting...
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Observations from Tuesday's full-squad workout

Observations from Tuesday's full-squad workout
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - So much for those quick, streamlined pitchers and catchers workouts. With position players joining them on the fields today, the Nationals experienced their longest session of the spring, by far. Though technically a voluntary workout - the first official full-squad day is Wednesday - every healthy member of the roster participated this morning (and afternoon). Everyone gathered on the agility field for the daily "Circle of Trust" meeting at 10:45 a.m. Position players...
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Murphy's rehab from knee surgery slow but steady

Murphy's rehab from knee surgery slow but steady
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - As every other position player on the Nationals roster took the field for the first time as a team this morning, Daniel Murphy could only watch. Though the veteran second baseman, still rehabbing from late-October knee surgery, has begun some baseball activities, they are admittedly limited. "I started doing some knee drills," Murphy said. "Played a little bit of catch. And that would be the extent of it right now. So ground balls on my knees and then play a little...
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All but one player in camp, Nats ready for full-squad workouts

All but one player in camp, Nats ready for full-squad workouts
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Position players reported to camp Monday, and though we haven't seen the entire squad on the field together quite yet, it does feel like spring training has finally begun in earnest. The vast majority of Nationals position players had already reported early, some by multiple weeks, so there were only a handful left to check in Monday (the official reporting date). Of the 61 players in big league camp - that number will go up to 62 today when reliever Joaquín...
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Nationals add veteran Benoit to address bullpen depth issue

Nationals add veteran Benoit to address bullpen depth issue
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - In need of more right-handed bullpen depth to account for Koda Glover's latest shoulder injury, the Nationals have agreed to terms with veteran Joaquín Benoit on a one-year, $1 million contract, according to a source familiar with the deal. The signing hasn't been announced yet, but Benoit was at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches today and already had a locker with his nameplate above it inside the Nationals clubhouse, according to another source. Benoit, 40, has a...
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Harper tries to keep focus on winning in 2018, not free agency

Harper tries to keep focus on winning in 2018, not free agency
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Bryce Harper didn't even wait for the question to be asked. He wanted to make this clear before any reporters assembled for his first media session of the spring could press him on it. "Just want to let you guys know I will not be discussing anything relative to 2019, at all," he said. "I'm focused on this year. I'm focused on winning and playing hard, like every single year. So if you guys have any questions about anything after 2018, you can call Scott and he...
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Glover on shoulder soreness: "I'm not worried. I'll be fine."

Glover on shoulder soreness: "I'm not worried. I'll be fine."
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Though he's dealing with discomfort similar to the ailment that sidelined him for much of the 2017 season, Koda Glover insists he's not worried about the long-term state of his shoulder. "No," the young reliever said during a brief session this morning with reporters in the Nationals clubhouse. "Do I look worried? I'm not worried. I'll be fine. I'm fine." Glover, who missed the final four months of last season with a rotator cuff injury, reported to camp last...
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Lilliquist trying to fine-tune, not overhaul, Nats pitching staff

Lilliquist trying to fine-tune, not overhaul, Nats pitching staff
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Every pitching coach has his own philosophies, his own advice for those who take the mound under his watch. And when a new coach takes over a club, he typically wants to start imparting his wisdom on his pitchers right from the get-go. Derek Lilliquist, though, didn't inherit any old pitching staff. He arrived here earlier this month to a Nationals staff that features the man who won the last two National League Cy Young Awards, another who finished third in voting,...
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Shoulder soreness preventing Glover from throwing in camp

Shoulder soreness preventing Glover from throwing in camp
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Koda Glover's attempt to make the opening day roster after an injury-plagued 2017 season has already hit a snag. Glover has not thrown since reporting to Nationals camp, informing club officials when he arrived that he had been experiencing shoulder soreness following the bullpen sessions he was throwing on his own at home this winter. The Nationals had Glover undergo an MRI of his shoulder, which was injured much of last season, and found only inflammation. For now,...
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Don't look for quick hooks from Martinez

Don't look for quick hooks from Martinez
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Since the day he was hired, we've all wondered what kind of manager Davey Martinez would be, especially when it comes to in-game strategy. Having had no prior managerial experience, there's no advance scouting report to consider, only speculation based on his answers to various questions posed his way. We got a few glimpses into Martinez's strategic mindset over the winter, and we're starting to get more in these early days of spring training. Such as his philosophy...
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Ross throwing again, targeting late summer return to Nats

Ross throwing again, targeting late summer return to Nats
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - He won't be ready to open the year with the Nationals, but Joe Ross has every intention of being a significant contributor to the pitching staff later this season. "That's in my head, for sure," he said. "My arm will dictate that. But that's how I feel, and I'm looking forward to helping the team in the second half." Ross, who had Tommy John surgery on July 19, still has a long way to go to make it back to the mound at Nationals Park. But the last month has seen...
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Secure in closer's role, Doolittle now trying to add to his arsenal

Secure in closer's role, Doolittle now trying to add to his arsenal
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Sean Doolittle will be the Nationals closer to open the season. That declaration, made this afternoon by new manager Davey Martinez, did not constitute earth-shattering news. Given the way Doolittle performed late last season, and given the current makeup of the Nats bullpen, that was a foregone conclusion. The more notable development this season for Doolittle would involve not when he pitches but what he pitches. After firmly establishing himself as a top-notch...
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