Dan Kolko

Nats release lineup for Friday's spring opener at Mets

Nats release lineup for Friday's spring opener at Mets
VIERA, Fla. - Matt Williams' first lineup as Nationals manager has been posted. Here's the batting order the skipper will run out for the Nats' Grapefruit League opener on Friday at Port St. Lucie against the Mets: RF Nate McLouth 2B Danny Espinosa 3B Ryan Zimmerman 1B Adam LaRoche SS Ian Desmond C Wilson Ramos DH Tyler Moore LF Scott Hairston CF Eury Perez RHP Taylor Jordan That's four 2013 starting position players making the 75-minute trip for an early spring game. Not...
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Dan Kolko

Sights and sounds from Wednesday's workout (plus Davis note)

Sights and sounds from Wednesday's workout (plus Davis note)
VIERA, Fla. - I love watching major league teams take infield, and luckily for me, the Nationals have done plenty of quick-moving infield drills so far this camp. Manager Matt Williams grabbed his fungo bat and hit grounders to his top two groups of infielders this morning, putting them through the drill at a crisp pace. Ian Desmond and Ryan Zimmerman both put on a show with some nice barehanded grabs, and Danny Espinosa continued to look smooth at short playing behind Desmond. Have I...
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Dan Kolko

Jordan reacts to starting Nats' spring opener, plus Friday and Saturday pitching probables

Jordan reacts to starting Nats' spring opener, plus Friday and Saturday pitching probables
VIERA, Fla. - Matt Williams has posted the pitching probables for the Nationals' first two Grapefruit League games, starting with Friday's game at Port St. Lucie against the Mets. As I mentioned yesterday, right-hander Taylor Jordan will get the start on Friday, and Jordan said today that he's been told he'll throw two innings. Here's are the pitchers scheduled to follow Jordan to the mound on Friday (the order of the pitchers can sometimes change, and not everyone is guaranteed to...
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Dan Kolko

One minor league position player to watch this season

One minor league position player to watch this season
VIERA, Fla. - The Nationals have a handful of pitchers who could quickly move through their minor league ranks and make an impact at the big league level in the next year or two. Since the promotions of Bryce Harper and Anthony Rendon, however, the Nats have lacked a big-name position player prospect who can excite fans and leave them looking forward to future seasons. There is one guy that talent evaluators within the organization will be watching closely this season, however, a guy who...
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Dan Kolko

Notes from Williams' daily session with the media

Notes from Williams' daily session with the media
VIERA, Fla. - Matt Williams met with the media this afternoon, as he does every afternoon in spring, and discussed a variety of topics. Here's a sample platter from that afternoon session with reporters: On Ryan Zimmerman getting his first work this spring at first base during early drills: "He's got great hands, man, so he's really good at it. ... We worked with his footwork around the bag. That's an important thing for a guy that may get a chance to move across the diamond for a couple...
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Giolito talks Tommy John rehab, outside expectations and improvements he's made (with J. Johnson, Jordan notes)

Giolito talks Tommy John rehab, outside expectations and improvements he's made (with J. Johnson, Jordan notes)
VIERA, Fla. - It's now been nearly 18 months since Lucas Giolito underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow, but the Nationals' 19-year-old right-hander and top prospect says he's completely healthy, feels strong and is ready to attack his first full season as a professional ballplayer. Giolito met with reporters today outside the Nationals minor league facility, towering over us with his 6-foot-6, 255 lb. frame. The Nats' first-round pick in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft, who...
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Dan Kolko

Mattheus day-to-day with inflammation in his chest

Mattheus day-to-day with inflammation in his chest
VIERA, Fla. - An MRI taken yesterday afternoon has revealed that Nationals reliever Ryan Mattheus has costochondritis, which is inflammation of the cartilage that attaches the ribs to the breastbone. Doctors have told Mattheus he's day-to-day at this point. Mattheus first started feeling pain in his upper chest after throwing his second bullpen session of spring, back on Feb. 18. He was shut down for a few days, but when the pain didn't dissipate, the Nationals sent Mattheus for an MRI in...
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Clay Hensley's revival, and the quirky throwing program that got him here

Clay Hensley's revival, and the quirky throwing program that got him here
VIERA, Fla. - Around July of last year, veteran right-hander Clay Hensley had one foot out the proverbial door, ready to step away from baseball and move on to the next phase of his life. Now he's in Nationals camp, pitching well and battling for a spot in Matt Williams' bullpen. That in itself sounds like a cool story, but tales like that aren't unique to Hensley. There are countless players throughout spring training facilities in Florida and Arizona who are trying to work their way back...
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Dan Kolko

Final notes from today

Final notes from today
VIERA, Fla. - While most of the day was highlighted by the "Pitchers' Hitting Game" that took place on the field at Space Coast Stadium as well as Field 5, there were some other drills run today. Before the hitting game took place, position players and pitchers all warmed up on the minor league fields, as per normal. They then practiced making turns around first base, and did so with a coach standing directly on top of the base, so that only the very front left corner of the bag was...
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Dan Kolko

Harper will stay in left, Clippard comes through bullpen session OK

Harper will stay in left, Clippard comes through bullpen session OK
VIERA, Fla. - While Bryce Harper was the Nats' starting left fielder for the vast majority of last season, he essentially backed up Jayson Werth in right, starting 16 games out there, and also started eight games in center in place of Denard Span. Harper's versatility and arm strength allows him to play all three spots, and former Nats manager Davey Johnson took advantage of that, sliding Harper around the outfield as needed. This year, new Nats manager Matt Williams says that for the most...
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Dan Kolko

"Pitchers' hitting game" tops the list of most entertaining drills of camp (with video)

"Pitchers' hitting game" tops the list of most entertaining drills of camp (with video)
VIERA, Fla. - Spring training can be a tedious, dull experience for major league players. Many of the drills they're being put through during these weeks leading up to games are ones that they've been doing since middle school. Position players take batting practice and work on defensive fundamentals. Pitchers throw bullpens and practice fielding comebackers. Gets old after a while. Actually, it gets old after Day 2. So manager Matt Williams and the Nationals' coaches decided to take a...
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Dan Kolko

A few notes leading up to this morning's workout

A few notes leading up to this morning's workout
VIERA, Fla. - They're calling for some more rain today here, but the Nationals might luck out again. It looks like the showers won't hit us until mid-afternoon, by which point the Nats will be off the fields and will have their workout behind them. That's chief meteorologist Dan Kolko with that report. The live batting practice sessions we saw over the weekend have been put on hold for a day, but they're scheduled to be a part of tomorrow's workout. All pitchers who haven't been...
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Like Strasburg, Detwiler adding to his repertoire

Like Strasburg, Detwiler adding to his repertoire
VIERA, Fla. - Like manager Matt Williams, Nationals bench coach Randy Knorr moved back and forth between Field 2 and Field 3 during yesterday's workout, trying to watch a little bit of every pitcher's live batting practice session just to see how everyone was looking. He watched Stephen Strasburg pound the zone and locate four pitches, (including his new slider) on Field 2, then walked by me on his way over to Field 3 to catch a bit of Jordan Zimmermann's session. I jokingly asked Knorr...
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Venezuelan Nats offer support for home country, plus workout notes and photos

Venezuelan Nats offer support for home country, plus workout notes and photos
VIERA, Fla. - Following today's workout, a handful of Nationals players gathered in the bullpen at Space Coast Stadium, held Venezuelan flags and offered their support to the people of Venezuela, who have been dealing with violent clashes throughout their country as of late. Reports out of Venezuela are that at least eight people have died within the last two weeks due to violent protests of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Supporters of Maduro have clashed with his critics, and violence...
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Dan Kolko

Strasburg toys with slider, cracks a smile during today's live BP session

Strasburg toys with slider, cracks a smile during today's live BP session
VIERA, Fla. - Stephen Strasburg's repertoire already features a four-seam fastball that last season ranked second in the major leagues in average velocity among qualified starters. He has a sharp, knee-bucking curveball. And he has a changeup that often makes hitters look silly given how much movement it has and how fast it is relative to most changeups. Today, during Strasburg's first live batting practice session of spring, he showed off a new pitch - a slider, which he's been working on...
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Dan Kolko

Mattheus shut down due to chest injury, Clippard returns to workouts

Mattheus shut down due to chest injury, Clippard returns to workouts
VIERA, Fla. - While the rest of the pitchers in his throwing group took part in their first live batting practice sessions of spring today, Ryan Mattheus remained sidelined with what he said is an upper chest injury. Mattheus has been shut down since Tuesday, he revealed today, after feeling discomfort in the chest following his second bullpen session of spring. He will undergo an MRI and will wait on the results, which will reveal exactly what's going on that's causing the...
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Tommy John rehab complete, Skole healthy and excited to be back in camp

Tommy John rehab complete, Skole healthy and excited to be back in camp
VIERA, Fla. - It's a really foggy morning down here in Viera and more rain might be on the way throughout the afternoon, but the Nationals will try and get in a full workout today despite the conditions. Players were required to report before 7 a.m. today for photo day, in which they move from station to station and have their picture snapped by various outlets as well as team photographers. The area atop the morning schedule that usually holds Matt Williams' daily motivational quote...
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Reviewing some of the new replay rules

Reviewing some of the new replay rules
VIERA, Fla. - After he was done running Friday's workout and taking part in all of his normal daily meetings with his coaching staff, Nationals manager Matt Williams took the hour-long drive to Kissimmee for another meeting. This one was with Major League Baseball officials, and was held to instruct Williams as well as a few other managers on the new video replay rules that will be put into place this season. Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez, Astros manager Bo Porter and Tigers manager Brad...
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Final Saturday afternoon notes, plus photo gallery

Final Saturday afternoon notes, plus photo gallery
VIERA, Fla. - After facing left-handers Sammy Solis and Matt Purke in live batting practice today, and before he was set to step in against right-hander A.J. Cole, I asked shortstop Zach Walters what he thought of the young, talented hurlers the Nationals were rolling out to the mound on Field 2 today. "Is it like a requirement now that every guy we have is (6-foot-6) and can locate seven pitches?" Walters deadpanned. Sure seems that way. Walters was able to barrel up a ball off Purke,...
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Fister, Rendon, Ramos and Williams discuss Fister's live BP session

Fister, Rendon, Ramos and Williams discuss Fister's live BP session
VIERA, Fla. - As spring training progresses, we'll slowly be able to learn more and more about the new players that are in Nationals camp. Doug Fister looked sharp and shown impressive command down in the zone during his three bullpen sessions coming into today. And with hitters stepping into the batter's box against Fister for live batting practice for the first time, we got a little more information on how Fister likes to approach spring and what he brings to the table. For example,...
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