PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. – Riley Adams appears to have made quick progress from a bruised right wrist and could be back in the Nationals lineup as soon as Monday, according to manager Davey Martinez.

Adams was hit by a pitch Friday night and had to be scratched from Saturday’s lineup, replacing behind the plate by Drew Millas. X-rays on his wrist were negative, and he was diagnosed with a contusion.

The 28-year-old was ready to resume a full workout this morning, though. If he made it through that session feeling strong, he could be back in the lineup for one of Monday’s split-squad games against the Marlins.

“He took a few swings yesterday off the tee, said he felt a lot better. So he’s going to hit today out on the field,” Martinez said. “I’ll get something back, and then if he’s OK, we’ll plop him back in tomorrow.”

This is an important spring for Adams, who is trying to hold onto the No. 2 catching job on the Opening Day, backing up Keibert Ruiz. He was twice optioned to Triple-A Rochester last season after falling into slumps at the plate, with Millas called up to replace him.

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. – The Nationals hit the road this afternoon, making the 45-minute trek up Interstate-95 to face the Mets. And a decent number of regulars are making the trip, headlined by CJ Abrams and James Wood, who will bat first and second, respectively.

Wood is serving as designated hitter, and Dylan Crews and Jacob Young aren’t on the trip, so today’s outfield has a different look, with Alex Call in left field, Andrew Pinckney in center and Daylen Lile in right. They’ll all get a chance to face Clay Holmes, the former Yankees reliever who is now getting a chance to become a full-time starter with the Mets.

Jake Irvin becomes the first member of the Nationals rotation to make his fourth start of the spring. Irvin has already completed four innings in his last outing, so he should be good to ramp up to five frames today, provided he keeps the pitch count reasonable.

You can watch today’s game live on MASN, the broadcast beginning at 1 p.m. That’s 1 p.m. Eastern Daylight Saving Time, of course. Hope you all remembered to change your clocks last night!

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. NEW YORK METS
Where: Clover Park, Port St. Lucie
Gametime: 1:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 980 AM, MLB.com
Weather: Sunny, 85 degrees, wind 11 mph out to left field

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Progress in early March looks different than it would later in the year, or even in the spring. The Nationals still have two weeks to name a fifth starter, which means DJ Herz still has three more exhibition outings to make his case.

So even though this afternoon’s start during a 5-3 loss to the Cardinals didn’t look great on paper, both Herz and manager Davey Martinez were able to point to some positive developments that represented progress from his two previous appearances.

“He threw a lot of strikes,” Martinez said of Herz, who was credited with 46 of them among his 71 total pitches. “The big thing with him is, he got ahead, and then he got hitters back in the count: 3-2, 2-2. Once he gets ahead, he’s got to stay ahead. But he did throw the ball around the plate. It was way better today. A better outing for him today, so we’ll build from that.”

High pitch counts and an inability to throw strikes were the defining characteristics of Herz’s prior spring starts, most notably last week’s effort against the Astros in which he walked four and didn’t even make it out of the second inning.

The lefty again got himself in trouble in the top of the second today, with two runs scoring on three hits, and a leaping catch in center field by Jacob Young saving the inning from going on any longer. Even so, Herz walked off the mound with his pitch count already up to 48, a product of all those long at-bats, most of which lasted at least five or six pitches.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The ball shot off CJ Abrams’ bat and made a beeline for the left field wall, clearing it with some room to spare as the Nationals shortstop rounded the bases to applause Friday night from the crowd at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches.

A solo homer on March 7 from an established big leaguer isn’t all that noteworthy, but this one felt different not because of who hit it, but where he hit it.

Abrams hit 20 home runs for the Nats last season. Every single one of them was hit to right or right-center field. This one, of course, went to the opposite field, which made it very notable to the 24-year-old.

“It was big,” Abrams said. “I’ve been seeing it really well up there. I’ve been swinging at better pitches. The results early on probably wasn’t the best, but I was getting good contact.”

Abrams entered Friday only 3-for-19 at the plate this spring, making a lot of contact early in the count. He hadn’t struck out, but he hadn’t been hitting the ball with much authority, either.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Nationals have a quick turnaround from Friday night’s walk-off win over the Mets, facing the Cardinals today at the extra-early time of 12:05 p.m. Davey Martinez decided to let the guys sleep in a little, canceling formal morning workouts and batting practice. And most of the regulars who started Friday night are not in today’s lineup.

DJ Herz should be well-rested, though, and eager to perform better than he did in either of his previous two spring starts. The young lefty has been pulled with two outs in the second each time, having allowed two runs. He’s also walked six in those 3 1/3 combined innings while striking out only two, the exact opposite of what should be expected of him. He’s in a battle with Mitchell Parker and Shinnosuke Ogasawara for the No. 5 starter’s job; this would be a good time for him to step up and make the case for himself.

The Nationals lineup faces veteran left-hander Steven Matz. With many of the regulars sitting, Jacob Young gets a chance to lead off, with Robert Hassell III bumped all the way up to the No. 2 spot.

You can watch today’s game live on MASN, with Bob Carpenter and Kevin Frandsen together on the call for the first time in 2025. The radio broadcast with Charlie Slowes and Dave Jageler, meanwhile, is streaming online only today.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
Where: CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach
Gametime: 12:05 p.m. EST
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: Nationals.com, MLB.com
Weather: Sunny, 81 degrees, wind 7 mph out to left field

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Kyle Finnegan woke up early this morning, raring to go. Unfortunately, he didn’t need to report to the ballpark until lunchtime, because the Nationals had a night game against the Mets.

“I woke up early like usual and was just staring at the clock like: ‘When can I go in the field?’” the veteran closer said with a laugh. “Being around for a while now, that’s a good thing to still be super excited to throw in a back field spring training game.”

Finnegan indeed only threw an inning of a simulated game this afternoon, facing a quartet of teammates while coaches watched from behind a screen. Hardly anything to get excited about. But for the 33-year-old, who re-signed with the Nats only a week ago, this was a big deal: the first time he faced live hitters since the end of the 2024 season.

Though he kept himself ready while unsigned this spring throwing off a mound at home in Houston, the only “batter’ Finnegan had faced was a cardboard cutout figure positioned in the batter’s box. Not quite the same as facing Robert Hassell III, Brady House, Stone Garrett and José Tena on Field 2 outside CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches.

“I was anxious to throw today, super excited,” he said. “It’s that natural progression of taking that next step. No matter what you do in the offseason, nothing can prepare you for that first week of spring training, just how you body responds to it. Today was a big step forward.”

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Nationals and Orioles are set to close out their respective exhibition seasons with one final game against each other later this month, but that’s just a precursor to more games against each other in coming years.

The two clubs today announced a five-year deal to play exhibitions against each other, including an annual home-and-home series from 2026-29.

This year’s standalone game is set for Monday, March 24 at 1:05 p.m. at Nationals Park. The Nats also announced today all current and former federal employees are eligible to receive two free tickets to that game “as a special expression of gratitude for their services.” Federal workers can claim their free tickets at the first base box office beginning at 11:45 a.m. on the day of game. Additional details can be found at nationals.com/federal.

The clubs will expand this series with annual home-and-home games beginning in 2026, one game played at Nationals Park, one at Camden Yards. The specific schedule has yet to be announced, but the games are expected to take place on the Sunday and Monday prior to Opening Day, which would require the Nats to finish spring training in Florida one day earlier than usual.

This is a return to a previous era when end-of-spring exhibitions between the Nationals and Orioles was commonplace. They met each other every year from 2006-09, with games played in both cities.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Hello once again from sunny South Florida. It’s good to be back after a short respite at home. Many thanks as always to Bobby Blanco for a dynamite job covering the team all week in my stead.

The Nationals are back home with a night game against the Mets, and most of the regulars are in there for this one. That includes, for the first time this spring, the 1-2-3 of CJ Abrams, Dylan Crews and James Wood atop Davey Martinez’s lineup. That seems to be the order they have in mind to open the season, if everyone’s healthy and productive. We’ll see how they look against New York right-hander Paul Blackburn this evening.

Trevor Williams gets the ball for the Nats in his third outing of the spring. The veteran right-hander gave up a costly, two-run homer to the Marlins in his debut. He then held the Astros to one run over 2 1/3 innings last time out, but did give up five hits and a walk in the process. Williams faces a New York lineup tonight featuring Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso, Mark Vientos and old pal Joey Meneses.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. NEW YORK METS
Where: CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach
Gametime: 6:05 p.m. EST
TV: None
Radio: 980 AM, MLB.com
Weather: Clear, 73 degrees, wind 9 mph out to left field

NATIONALS
SS CJ Abrams
CF Dylan Crews
LF James Wood
1B Nathaniel Lowe
3B Paul DeJong
2B Luis García Jr.
RF Alex Call
DH Andrés Chaparro
C Andrew Knizner

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Jake Irvin planned to throw two innings tonight. That would be the standard ramp-up after throwing only one inning in his spring debut five days ago.

Just one problem: Irvin was too good during those two innings. He faced six batters, he retired all six and he needed only 23 pitches to do it.

So the Nationals sent the right-hander back to the mound for an unplanned third inning. At which point the sharpness and efficiency that defined the start of his night eluded him and brought a quick end to his night.

Back-to-back walks with one out in the third raised Irvin’s pitch count to 37 and brought manager Davey Martinez out of the dugout. It wasn’t a big deal; it’s still Feb. 27, after all. But for Irvin, it left a bit of a sour taste in his mouth at night’s end as the Nats took a 4-3 loss at the hands of the Braves.

“I’m excited to ride the wave of the first two innings going into the next one,” Irvin said when asked about the third inning.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Kyle Finnegan was disappointed, but not resentful of the Nationals when they chose to non-tender him three months ago. He understood it was a business decision, and he always left the door open for a return.

So when the All-Star closer walked back through that familiar clubhouse door today after officially re-signing with the Nats, there was nothing but a wide smile on his face.

“They’re making decisions that are what they think are in the best interests, and that doesn’t mean they don’t want you back,” he said. “It’s kind of one of those things that it is what it is. When the non-tender happened, I didn’t have any animosity or anything. I knew they had the potential to be one of the teams in play. So you keep an open mind, and at the end of the day you make the decision that feels right for you and your family.”

For Finnegan, a chance to return to the Nationals for $6 million, even if that was about $2 million to $3 million less than he was likely to earn had they let him go through the arbitration process over the winter, was the right one.

He looked right at home this afternoon in the same clubhouse he called home each of the previous five springs, albeit in a new locker on the other side of the room because his old spot was taken. He’s still wearing his No. 67 jersey. He only had to introduce himself to a few new teammates and staff members. He already knew everyone else.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Nationals play their first night game of the spring, with the Braves making a rare visit from all the way across the state. Atlanta isn’t sending a whole lot of big names, aside from Marcell Ozuna, but they do have Bryce Elder on the mound, which should make for a nice challenge for the Nats lineup.

Davey Martinez does have plenty of regulars in his batting order, pretty much everyone but James Wood (who is set to DH on Friday in his delayed spring debut) and Keibert Ruiz (who caught Wednesday). So we’ll get multiple at-bats tonight from CJ Abrams, Dylan Crews, Nathaniel Lowe, Josh Bell and Luis García Jr.

Jake Irvin, meanwhile, becomes the first member of the rotation to make his second start of the spring. The right-hander should be good to go two innings in this one as he continues the slow build-up to regular-season form.

Tonight’s game is available live on MLB Network, if you’re interested in watching.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. ATLANTA BRAVES
Where: CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach
Gametime: 6:05 p.m. EST
TV: MLB Network (Braves’ feed)
Radio: MLB.com (Braves’ feed)
Weather: Partly cloudy, 76 degrees, wind 7 mph out to left field

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Nationals officially announced the re-signing of Kyle Finnegan this afternoon, but to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for their returning closer they made the surprising decision to designate outfielder Stone Garrett for assignment.

Finnegan agreed to a one-year, $6 million contract Tuesday, ending a three-month saga that began with the Nats non-tendering the All-Star reliever but ultimately bringing him back at a lower salary than he would have received via the arbitration process. He’ll report to CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches today and begin to get himself ready to pitch in spring training games and reassume the club’s ninth-inning role heading into the season.

The Nationals had several options when it came to clearing a 40-man spot for Finnegan. They could have placed right-hander Cade Cavalli (who is not expected to pitch in the big leagues for several months) on the 60-day injured list, or they could have designated another pitcher for assignment.

In the end, they chose to cut a position player, one who was attempting to make it back to the majors full-time 18 months after suffering a gruesome injury.

Garrett was developing into a productive hitter for the Nats in the summer of 2023 before he attempted to make a leaping catch at the wall in Yankee Stadium in late-August and crumbled to the ground in agony, breaking his left fibula and tearing his ankle ligaments.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – As he frequently heaped praise upon the majority of the players on his roster last spring, Davey Martinez also found himself regularly criticizing one guy in particular. Luis García Jr. seemed to be on the hot seat throughout camp, hearing it from his manager whenever he misplayed a ball at second base or was thrown out on the bases.

To be clear, García did commit more of those kinds of infractions than most. But Martinez’s response wasn’t an attempt to boost the young player’s spirits, but rather to put added pressure on him with not-so-veiled suggestions his job was in jeopardy.

“That can’t happen,” Martinez said at one point in March 2024 after a series of mistakes by García. “We talked about that with him. We’ve got to be beyond that now with him. I mean, like I said, he’s not a rookie. He’s been in this league now for a while. Those things cannot happen.”

Looking back on it all now, one year later, both manager and player can smile and acknowledge how much has changed. García took the criticism to heart and put together the breakthrough season the Nationals long believed he had in him. And Martinez can take some solace in knowing his tough-love approach seems to have worked as he hoped it would.

“I just really felt that it was the right moment,” the manager said this week. “I had him now for over four years. He was very young, so we tried to groom him to be the everyday second baseman. And last year, I knew the talent was there. I always told him: ‘You can hit. You just give away too many at-bats. You can play second base. You’re just not ready to play it every pitch.’ We talked a lot with him about being fundamentally ready, to be engaged every single pitch. …

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – It was a two-out walk in the first inning on Feb. 26. Not that big a deal, right?

For DJ Herz, it was a big deal. Not because the result of today’s exhibition game – a 3-0 loss to the Astros – was important. But because he knows two-out walks are among his biggest bugaboos, something the young left-hander is really trying to focus on correcting this year.

“Obviously, we don’t want to do the two-out walks,” Herz said. “A lot of weird stuff happens when that happens.”

What happened after this two-out walk of Isaac Paredes? A two-run homer by Yainer Diaz. Then back-to-back singles. And suddenly, what could’ve been a quick, 1-2-3 top of the first turned into a laborious 24-pitch frame.

So, even though the game didn’t count, is the two-out walk in spring training that important?

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Juan Yepez didn’t enter the 2024 season as the Nationals’ starting first baseman. He didn’t even enter the season on the Nationals’ major league roster.

But as Joey Gallo dealt with injuries and Joey Meneses dealt with struggles, Yepez found his way to D.C. and ultimately a semi-regular spot in the lineup. He finished the year with a respectable .764 OPS, providing quality production at the plate, especially against left-handers.

But when the season ended, the Nats knew they needed to upgrade at first base. So they traded for Nathaniel Lowe, then also signed Josh Bell to return (though primarily as designated hitter).

Which leaves Yepez … where, exactly? Competing for a utility role.

“We’ve got to see if he can play multiple positions,” manager Davey Martinez said. “We’re looking for that guy who can do a bunch of different things. … And he deserves a chance to make this team. He played really well for us last year in a limited role. If he can do all these little things – we’ll try him out in left field, we’ll put him at third base, play first base as well – we’ll see how he does.”

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The undefeated Nationals have looked good so far in the early stages of the exhibition season, especially a lineup that has scored 31 runs in three games. That group has done well in the first inning, scoring five runs against the Mets and three runs against the Marlins.

The challenge is quite a bit tougher this afternoon when the Nats face Astros ace Framber Valdez. The veteran left-hander will be on the mound for his first outing of the spring, facing a lineup featuring a few regulars.

Those regulars include CJ Abrams, Luis García Jr., Keibert Ruiz and Nathaniel Lowe at the top of the order. The bottom of the order includes a familiar name in an unfamiliar position: Juan Yepez in left field. Given the offseason additions of Lowe and Josh Bell, Yepez’s only real shot of making the team is to prove he can adequately play something other than first base. So he’ll get a shot this afternoon in the outfield. He’s also been taking some reps at third base during workouts.

DJ Herz makes his spring debut on the mound. The young lefty seemingly is competing with fellow young lefties Mitchell Parker and Shinnosuke Ogasawara for the No. 5 starter’s job, but it’s still too early in camp to see exactly how that will all play out. For now, the Nationals just want Herz to throw strikes and pitch with some consistency as he tries to prove he’s the right man for the job.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. HOUSTON ASTROS
Where: CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach
Gametime: 1:05 p.m. EST
TV: None
Radio: MLB.com (Astros’ feed)
Weather: Partly cloudy, 73 degrees, wind 10 mph in from center field

JUPITER, Fla. – It’s only three games, and it’s only spring training, so take everything with a healthy grain of salt. Now, having made that all-important caveat, here’s what you should know: The Nationals are off to a great start to the Grapefruit League season.

With convincing victories over the Astros, Mets and Marlins, the Nats are 3-0 in exhibition play, having outscored their opponents 31-16. They’re averaging more than 10 runs scored per game. And their starting pitching, while taking on a minimal workload at this early stage, has pitched quite well.

“We’re really preaching getting good pitches to hit,” manager Davey Martinez said. “We’re getting balls in the zone, and we’re making good contact, which is great. That’s what we’re talking about: We’ve got to have better swing decisions. And the last couple days, I’ve seen a lot better decision-making when the ball’s in the zone.”

As a team, the Nationals are batting .321 (second-best in the majors), with a .419 on-base percentage (best in the majors) and .924 OPS (also best in the majors). They’re the only team averaging 10 runs per game. They’re even a perfect 10-for-10 on stolen base attempts.

There’s plenty to like on an individual level, as well. Andres Chaparro is 4-for-7 with a homer and four RBIs. Jacob Young is 3-for-6 with a homer and two steals. Dylan Crews is 3-for-6 with a triple, an RBI, two walks and two steals. Robert Hassell III is 4-for-9 with two doubles, a homer, five RBIs and a steal. Josh Bell is 3-for-7 with a double, two RBIs and a walk. Nathaniel Lowe has reached base in all three of his plate appearances. Alex Call has reached base in five of his.

JUPITER, Fla. – Kyle Finnegan will be closing for the Nationals in 2025 after all.

Finnegan and the Nats have agreed on a one-year, $6 million contract, three months after the club chose to non-tender its All-Star closer, a source familiar with the deal confirmed. It’s a modest raise from his $5.1 million salary last year, but significantly less than the $8 million to $9 million he was projected to receive via the arbitration process.

The decision to non-tender Finnegan, 33, left the Nationals without an experienced closer, and though general manager Mike Rizzo and Davey Martinez insisted they were comfortable with veteran right-hander Jorge López or young lefty Jose A. Ferrer pitching the ninth inning, the prospect of a reunion with Finnegan always loomed large.

It took until the final days of February, two weeks into spring training, for the two sides to finally find common financial ground. Finnegan, who was holding out for a better deal, never got one from either the Nationals or another major league club.

FanSided.com and ESPN.com were first to report the new contract and its terms.

JUPITER, Fla. – MacKenzie Gore arguably is the Nationals’ No. 1 starter. Michael Soroka is the Nats’ highest-paid starter. So why hasn’t either pitched in a game yet this spring, and why isn’t either scheduled to start any of the next four days?

“They’ll pitch here soon,” manager Davey Martinez said this morning. “We’ve still got time. We figured if we get them six starts here, they’ll be in good shape.”

So, this was by design, not the result of any setbacks?

“They’re both good,” Martinez said. “It’s based on conversations with them, what they need.”

Both Gore and Soroka confirmed that sentiment. Both have been throwing off a mound. Both threw Monday when the Nationals were off, with Gore saying he threw two innings against live hitters in the batting cage.

JUPITER, Fla. – After a much needed day off – given how much it rained here Monday, they wouldn’t have been able to play a game anyway – the Nationals are back in action this afternoon with their first true road game of the spring. It’s only a 15-minute drive to Roger Dean Stadium to face the Marlins, but this is the first time they’ve played this spring somewhere other than West Palm Beach.

A few regulars made the trip, headlined by Dylan Crews (who has started all three games so far), Paul DeJong, Jacob Young and Josh Bell (who makes his first appearance at first base after DHing Sunday). We’ll also see José Tena not at third base but at second base, perhaps further evidence that the plan is to have him play multiple infield positions this season.

Trevor Williams gets the start, hoping to set the tone with a solid first outing. The veteran right-hander was a completely different pitcher last year, successful thanks to an ability to keep everything down in the zone and the addition of a sweeper to his arsenal. The Nats gave him a two-year, $14 million deal to come back. Now it’s up to him to live up to that contract.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. MIAMI MARLINS
Where: Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, Jupiter
Gametime: 1:10 p.m. EST
TV: None
Radio: MLB.com (Marlins’ feed)
Weather: Mostly sunny, 72 degrees, wind 15 mph out to right field

NATIONALS
RF Dylan Crews
2B José Tena
3B Paul DeJong
1B Josh Bell
LF Alex Call
DH Stone Garrett
SS Amed Rosario
CF Jacob Young
C Andrew Knizner