Dan Kolko

Zimmerman to begin getting playing time at first base this spring

Zimmerman to begin getting playing time at first base this spring
VIERA, Fla. - The chatter about Ryan Zimmerman eventually moving to first base has been going on for some time now. And while we don't know where Zimmerman will be playing the majority of his games two years from now, we do know that he'll get at least a little bit of playing time at first this season. New Nationals manager Matt Williams told Zimmerman this offseason that he wanted him to get a first baseman's mitt in preparation for this spring, where Zimmerman will get some work on the...
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Dan Kolko

Harper does some hitting, Soriano throws his first bullpen session

Harper does some hitting, Soriano throws his first bullpen session
VIERA, Fla. - All 62 players on the Nationals' spring roster have reported to camp, according to manager Matt Williams. Reporters haven't seen Jayson Werth to this point, but that means nothing. Werth has apparently reported to people who actually matter, unlike myself, and he'll take part in player physicals tomorrow. Bryce Harper will meet with reporters tomorrow after he takes his physical. Today, Harper tossed on his Nationals red and blue pullover, laced up his cleats, shagged some...
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Dan Kolko

Harper arrives, Purke returning to form after injury

Harper arrives, Purke returning to form after injury
VIERA, Fla. - Bryce Harper and Jeff Kobernus walked into the home clubhouse at Space Coast Stadium a little before 9 a.m., which leaves Jayson Werth as the only member of the Nationals' 40-man roster who I have yet to spot at camp. Harper dished out hugs to teammates and then started unpacking his things as he grabbed a seat in front of his locker. We'll see whether he decides to hang around today and get in some BP on the main field sometime around noon. I mentioned that left-hander Sammy...
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Dan Kolko

In the early days of spring, Williams keeping an open mind on roster construction

In the early days of spring, Williams keeping an open mind on roster construction
VIERA, Fla. - While a host of position players have rolled into the Space Coast Stadium complex over the last handful of days, I don't think I realized just how close the Nationals were to having their full complement of players in camp until late yesterday afternoon, when I went up and down the roster, checking off the names of everyone who had arrived. Turns out, the only players on the 40-man roster I had yet to spot by the time things wrapped up yesterday were outfielders Bryce Harper,...
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Dan Kolko

Lobaton starting to settle in, plus Day 3 photo gallery

Lobaton starting to settle in, plus Day 3 photo gallery
VIERA, Fla. - It's been four days since Jose Lobaton was acquired by the Nationals in a trade with the Rays, and in that time, the Nats' backup catcher has slowly started to feel more and more comfortable. Except, it appears, when it comes to knowing the names of the pitchers he's been working with. "I like, after a bullpen, talk to them a little bit," Lobaton said after today's workout. "And I know a couple guys, the names. The next day, I'm like, 'I know that guy. I know I...
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Dan Kolko

Hearing from the skipper after Day 3 of workouts

Hearing from the skipper after Day 3 of workouts
VIERA, Fla. - Yesterday, I mentioned that manager Matt Williams and new third base coach Bobby Henley were seen practicing signs in an empty Space Coast Stadium about two hours after nearly all the players had left the facility for the day. What exactly were Williams and Henley doing? Why couldn't they just practice those signs over dinner or in a meeting room? Turns out, Henley wanted to make sure that he had a good view of Williams from the third base coach's box here at Space Coast...
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Dan Kolko

LaRoche on his beard, his health and his experiences with Williams

LaRoche on his beard, his health and his experiences with Williams
VIERA, Fla. - You can add Adam LaRoche, Denard Span, Tyler Moore, Eury Perez, Mike Fontenot and Will Rhymes to the list of position players who have arrived to camp early. The left side of the Nationals' clubhouse - the side occupied by the position players - is slowly starting to fill up. LaRoche strolled into the clubhouse early this afternoon with a lengthy beard on his face and his son Drake right on his heels. The LaRoche boys are back in town. The beard, which features a grey patch...
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Dan Kolko

Fister, Solis impress; Jeroloman almost ready for workouts

Fister, Solis impress; Jeroloman almost ready for workouts
VIERA, Fla. - There's only so much you can take out of bullpen sessions early in spring. There's no one standing in the batter's box. There's no umpire. There are only a couple dozen people watching on instead of 30,000. And, well, pitchers are throwing in a bullpen that has nine other mounds, and typically four other pitchers getting in their own work. That said, you can't help but try and pull something substantive from these sessions, as hard as that can be sometimes. That's what we...
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Dan Kolko

More on the "open competition" at second base, Carroll excited to compete

More on the "open competition" at second base, Carroll excited to compete
VIERA, Fla. - Matt Williams' comments yesterday about the Nationals having an "open competition" this spring between Anthony Rendon and Danny Espinosa for the team's starting second base job seemingly drew a lot of attention from fans. Rendon came up as a rookie last season, adapted on the fly to a position he had barely played since Little League, and fared pretty well. He improved at second base as the season went on and showed some offensive promise, despite the fact he made his big...
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Dan Kolko

Williams wants his infielders to be dancing machines

Williams wants his infielders to be dancing machines
VIERA, Fla. - It wasn't all that long ago that walk-up music was first introduced in baseball games. It used to be when a player came up to the plate to start an at-bat, his name would be announced, the fans would applaud, then the noise would fade and then the player would dig into the batter's box. I'm at the age that I can vaguely remember those days. Walk-up songs have become a huge thing in recent years, though, and many players agonize over their choices or pick three or four...
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Dan Kolko

Final note plus Day 2 photo gallery

Final note plus Day 2 photo gallery
VIERA, Fla. - I've got one quick final note to pass along from today, since I shared quotes from Matt Williams yesterday about how detail-oriented he can tend to be. A couple of hours ago, well after today's workout had ended and players had gone home, Williams and new third base coach Bobby Henley emerged from the Nationals clubhouse and made their way up to the corner of the home dugout nearest home plate. Henley then trotted out to the third base coach's box, and he and Williams...
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Dan Kolko

Strasburg's focus this spring: holding runners (plus plenty more Strasburg quotes)

Strasburg's focus this spring: holding runners (plus plenty more Strasburg quotes)
VIERA, Fla. - Slowly over the last couple of years, one aspect of Stephen Strasburg's game has jumped out at him as an area that has to be improved. The numbers show it, and the results within games have made it plenty evident. Strasburg needs to get better at holding runners. The right-hander has only picked off one runner in his career, and of the 38 runners who have attempted to steal off Strasburg in his 75 big league games, 30 have been successful, a 72 percent success rate. Pitching...
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Dan Kolko

More from Williams on bullpen construction, Strasburg and Skole

More from Williams on bullpen construction, Strasburg and Skole
VIERA, Fla. - The deeper we get into spring training, the more that we'll talk about roster construction scenarios with new Nationals manager Matt Williams. You don't want to spring too much on the guy right out of the gate, especially when he's still learning about his players and seeing many of them for the first time with his own eyes. But Williams did get a couple of questions today about the battle for spots in the bullpen, and while he didn't reveal much information, the Nats skipper...
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Dan Kolko

Williams: Starting second base job is up for grabs

Williams: Starting second base job is up for grabs
VIERA, Fla. - Danny Espinosa said at NatsFest last month that he had been told by general manager Mike Rizzo and manager Matt Williams that he would have a chance this spring to - as he phrased it - win his starting second base job back. Today, Williams essentially confirmed that, saying that the Nationals will have an "open competition" for the second base job between Espinosa and Anthony Rendon this spring. "That's all you can say about it at this point," Williams said. "They haven't...
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Dan Kolko

Sights and sounds from Day 2

Sights and sounds from Day 2
VIERA, Fla. - It felt like Florida weather this morning for the first time in a few days, as the sun came out and the temperatures rose into the 70s while the Nationals got their second workout of spring into gear. That allowed Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, Ross Detwiler and a host of others to throw their first bullpen sessions of spring in solid conditions. Those three were joined by Tanner Roark in the first group to throw 'pens today. I tried to take a few minutes watching each...
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Dan Kolko

Cedeno hoping to build off strong finish to 2013, stellar winter ball effort

Cedeno hoping to build off strong finish to 2013, stellar winter ball effort
VIERA, Fla. - The Nationals' workout schedule today will pretty much mirror the one that they had yesterday. They'll head out to the back fields around 10 a.m., get in some stretching, rotate through a few stations (bullpen sessions, pick-off practice, bunting drills and pitchers' fielding practice) and then likely wrap up sometime around noon. Those scheduled to throw bullpen sessions today: Jordan Zimmermann, Stephen Strasburg, Tanner Roark, Ross Detwiler, Ryan Mattheus, Drew Storen,...
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Dan Kolko

The evaluation process has already begun

The evaluation process has already begun
VIERA, Fla. - The first day of workouts is in the books. Matt Williams was probably able to sleep a little bit better last night now that things are under way and the first workout jitters are behind him. As of right now, the Nationals have a whopping 63 players set to eventually report to camp. That total includes right-hander Erik Davis, who is here but not working out for the next few weeks after being put on the 60-day disabled list Thursday with a right elbow strain. Unless I'm missing...
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Dan Kolko

Quotes from McLouth and Roenicke, plus photo gallery

Quotes from McLouth and Roenicke, plus photo gallery
VIERA, Fla. - You can add Nate McLouth to the list of position players who have reported early to camp, this after the veteran outfielder made the trip down from Tennessee to Viera yesterday. McLouth signed a two-year, $10.75 million deal with the Nationals this offseason, giving the team an experienced fourth outfielder who is capable of playing all three outfield positions, has some pop and speed and is a quality clubhouse presence. The 32-year-old played in 146 games last season with the...
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Dan Kolko

Williams on Harper's health, Livo's role and the idea behind the daily quotes

Williams on Harper's health, Livo's role and the idea behind the daily quotes
VIERA, Fla. - Back at NatsFest in late January, Bryce Harper expressed some doubt that he'd be at full strength when spring training begins, this after he underwent surgery in October to debride and repair the bursa sac in his left knee. "Trying to get back to full strength and we'll see where I can get by spring training," Harper said at the time. "See if I can go through spring training and get to 100 percent by the time the season starts. See where I'm at." Today, Nationals manager...
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Dan Kolko

Hearing from Williams after his first workout as Nationals manager

Hearing from Williams after his first workout as Nationals manager
VIERA, Fla. - Matt Williams admits he had a little trouble sleeping last night ahead of his first workout as Nationals manager. Williams got out of bed early and made his way to the Nats' spring facility by 5 a.m. He got in a workout, then went over to the minor league facility at 5:45 to mess around with one of the minor league coaches. Even though he had already gone over today's schedule dozens of times - he joked that yesterday's mental run-though of the schedule marked the 5,000th...
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