Starting lineups: Nats vs. Cardinals (ss) in West Palm Beach

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Cardinals (ss) in West Palm Beach
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - After a day off, the Nationals return rested and refreshed for a night game against a Cardinals split-squad. And since everyone's rested and refreshed, all the regulars are in the lineup. Davey Martinez has been tinkering with both one-two combos, alternating between Adam Eaton and Trea Turner. He hasn't made up his mind yet how he'll arrange things for opening day, but tonight it's Eaton leading off and Turner batting second. We'll also see both catchers tonight,...
Continue reading

What's left to decide as camp reaches the home stretch?

What's left to decide as camp reaches the home stretch?
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - I think we can officially say we've reached the home stretch. Following yesterday's off-day, the Nationals now have only four more game days here in Florida before heading north for Monday's final exhibition against the Yankees in D.C. Opening day against the Mets is exactly one week away. So, yes, this is the home stretch of spring training. Which means it's decision time. The Nationals don't have a whole lot of significant decisions still to make, but they do have...
Continue reading

Boring camp to date is exactly what Nationals needed

Boring camp to date is exactly what Nationals needed
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Nationals are off today. It's only their second off-day of the entire spring. Which makes this a good time to hit the pause button and reflect on what has taken place in the five weeks since pitchers and catchers first reported. Are there any conclusions that can be drawn yet? Here's one: This has been an awfully boring camp. And I mean that in the most positive way. There simply hasn't been any drama in Nats camp this spring. None. What's the biggest...
Continue reading

After long, rainy trip, Sánchez happy with start vs. Braves

After long, rainy trip, Sánchez happy with start vs. Braves
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The only thing drearier than the forecast was the prospect of the five-hour round trip from West Palm Beach for an exhibition game that might not even be played if the rain didn't let up. "Yeah, everybody was worrying about that," Aníbal Sánchez said. "Especially hearing the team was driving many hours to be here. It's really uncomfortable for both sides." It may have been uncomfortable, but the Nationals and Braves did manage to play a nine-inning game this...
Continue reading

Weather pushes back prep for Kendrick, Sipp (Nats win 3-2)

Weather pushes back prep for Kendrick, Sipp (Nats win 3-2)
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - As the clock ticks down on spring training, Howie Kendrick and Tony Sipp are running out of time to make it onto the opening day roster. But they're not entirely out of time yet, and there remains optimism at least one of the two veterans will be ready for next Thursday's season opener against the Mets. Kendrick appears to face a tougher challenge, still needing to get at-bats and game action after two weeks of rehab from a strained left hamstring. The 35-year-old...
Continue reading

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Braves in Lake Buena Vista

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Braves in Lake Buena Vista
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Hello from Walt Disney World. This is the last time the Nationals are ever scheduled to come here, with the Braves relocating to North Port (on the Gulf Coast) next spring, and they may not even get a chance to make that five-hour round trip worth it because it's been raining all day. No word yet on the status of the game, so everyone's preparing as though they'll play, but it's certainly a question mark. The matchup, if it happens, is Aníbal Sánchez against...
Continue reading

On Zimmerman's running, Barrett's return and Gonzalez's signing

On Zimmerman's running, Barrett's return and Gonzalez's signing
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - There weren't a whole lot of positives to come out of the Nationals' 7-1 exhibition loss to the Marlins yesterday, but if you squinted hard enough you might have come away finding a few developments worth smiling about. For example: Ryan Zimmerman's baserunning. This isn't typically something that gets noticed, good or bad, but something noteworthy did happen during the bottom of the second inning. First up, Zimmerman beat out a grounder to third for an infield...
Continue reading

Relievers Hoover, Cordero among today's roster cuts

Relievers Hoover, Cordero among today's roster cuts
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Nationals made another round of cuts following today's split-squad games, trimming their camp roster by six. Optioned to Triple-A Fresno were right-handers Austin Voth, Jimmy Cordero, Kyle McGowin and Tanner Rainey. Re-assigned to minor league camp were right-hander J.J. Hoover and outfielder Hunter Jones. The moves bring more clarity to the few remaining competitions for spots on the opening roster (in the bullpen and on the bench) as the Nationals enter the final...
Continue reading

Corbin shakes off first-inning struggles

Corbin shakes off first-inning struggles
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Patrick Corbin has allowed 12 runs so far in 18 innings this spring, but more notable is the fact seven of those runs have been scored in the first inning of his starts. It's not uncommon for pitchers, especially the elite ones, to have more trouble in the first inning than any other frame. But this isn't common territory for Corbin, who last season with Arizona posted a sparkling 0.82 ERA in the first inning. So the left-hander isn't about to raise any red flags or...
Continue reading

Taylor playing catch, hitting off tee days after injury (Nats lose 7-1)

Taylor playing catch, hitting off tee days after injury (Nats lose 7-1)
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Only three days after his manager said he expected him to miss "a significant amount of time," Michael A. Taylor was back playing catch and taking light swings this morning at the Nationals' spring training complex, suggesting his sprained left knee and hip aren't as seriously hurt as initially feared. Mirroring the light workout he revealed he went through Sunday, Taylor stood on the synthetic "agility" field just outside the Nationals clubhouse this morning and...
Continue reading

Split-squad lineups: Nats vs. Marlins and Mets

Split-squad lineups: Nats vs. Marlins and Mets
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Split-squad games are a rite of spring training, but the Nationals haven't had one yet this year. That changes today, when half the team hosts the Marlins in West Palm Beach and the other half travels to Port St. Lucie to face the Mets (weather permitting). Fortunately we've got tag team coverage right now: I'll be writing about the home game, Byron Kerr will be writing about the road game. It's Patrick Corbin facing the Marlins in his second-to-last tune-up before...
Continue reading

Strasburg fine facing Mets, Soto stays hot, Taylor starts rehab

Strasburg fine facing Mets, Soto stays hot, Taylor starts rehab
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Nationals and Mets faced each other today in West Palm Beach, and they'll face each other again Sunday in Port St. Lucie. More importantly, they'll face each other six times in the season's first two weeks, dates that are rapidly approaching. It's not uncommon in that scenario for starting pitchers to elect not to take the mound for these final spring tuneups against the same lineup they'll be going up against for real in a matter of days. And indeed the Mets'...
Continue reading

Martinez hasn't chosen opening day catcher yet (Nats win 10-5)

Martinez hasn't chosen opening day catcher yet (Nats win 10-5)
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Davey Martinez hasn't decided yet who his starting catcher will be on opening day. The manager has said all spring he intends to get both Yan Gomes and Kurt Suzuki regular playing time and have them split the job, and the opening day assignment is no different. Both catchers have worked with Max Scherzer over the last month. And both will catch the three-time Cy Young Award winner as the season plays out. It's just a question of who's behind the plate for the first...
Continue reading

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Mets in West Palm Beach

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Mets in West Palm Beach
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Nationals managed to avoid the rain yesterday and play their full exhibition game against the Cardinals. They'll try to do the same today against the Mets, with the forecast again iffy. Stephen Strasburg makes his fourth start of the spring. He's been very good to date: two runs allowed in 10 2/3 innings, with 13 strikeouts. He'll face a Mets lineup that includes Robinson Canó and Michael Conforto. Most of the Nationals' regulars, who started each of the last...
Continue reading

Braves GM's faith in Sánchez ultimately lands pitcher in D.C.

Braves GM's faith in Sánchez ultimately lands pitcher in D.C.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Alex Anthopoulos first fell in love with Aníbal Sánchez in December 2012, when the then-Blue Jays general manager flew to Miami to court the then-free agent pitcher. Over the course of two days, Anthopoulos met Sánchez and his wife, dined at Joe's Stone Crab and became convinced this was a pitcher he needed on his roster. "I was just really impressed with the person and the human being," Anthopoulos said earlier this spring. "He was our No. 1 target in that...
Continue reading

Doolittle gets a much-needed "wakeup call" with blown save

Doolittle gets a much-needed "wakeup call" with blown save
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - It's easy to take Sean Doolittle for granted, because he's been so automatic for the Nationals when healthy the last 1 1/2 seasons. Maybe Doolittle even takes himself for granted sometimes, especially during a spring in which he had retired 12 of the 13 batters he had faced before taking the mound in the ninth inning this afternoon. The left-hander won't do that anymore, not after a disastrous appearance that saw him allow five runs and turn a 5-3 lead into an 8-5...
Continue reading

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...
Continue reading

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...
Continue reading

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...
Continue reading

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...
Continue reading