WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Nationals are back home today, facing the same Cardinals team they saw over the weekend in Jupiter. Though this time they'll be going up against Adam Wainwright instead of Michael Wacha.
The lineup includes several regulars, including a one-two combo of Trea Turner and Brian Dozier. Davey Martinez said he wants to try to play those two middle infielders together as much as possible this spring, recognizing the need for them to get familiar with each other. Turner...
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - It's tough to draw many conclusions from spring training games, all the tougher to draw conclusions from long-distance road spring training games, when only a handful of big league regulars are in attendance and they play only a few innings before giving way to minor leaguers.
So there wasn't a whole lot to read into the Nationals' 9-4 loss to the Braves on Monday afternoon. But let's pick out a few noteworthy developments, beyond Patrick Corbin's strong two-inning...
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - He could've stayed back in West Palm Beach, skipped the 2 1/2-hour drive up the turnpike and faced live hitters on a back field or something. Veteran pitchers, certainly those who just signed a $140 million contract, aren't typically asked to make long road trips in spring training.
Patrick Corbin, though, wanted to pitch against the Braves today. He wanted to stay on his regular schedule, wanted to make his Nationals debut and not get any kind of special...
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - If he was going to drive 2 1/2 hours to make his Nationals debut, Patrick Corbin might as well have made the most of the situation. And that's exactly what the club's new $140 million pitcher did this afternoon against the Braves.
Working quickly, efficiently and showing off his full repertoire, Corbin retired six of the seven batters he faced, cruising through two scoreless innings at ESPN's Wide World of Sports complex.
Given the option of staying back in West Palm...
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Koda Glover will get an MRI on his right elbow this afternoon, leaving the oft-injured reliever and the Nationals waiting anxiously for results that could determine whether this is a mere spring training bump or cause for the club to re-examine its bullpen plans.
Glover had to depart from his Grapefruit League debut Sunday afternoon after walking three consecutive Cardinals batters and complaining of elbow tightness. He threw only 10 of his 22 pitches for strikes and...
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The Nationals don't make many long spring training trips anymore, not since relocating from remote Viera to more convenient West Palm Beach. But they do still get stuck with a few lengthy bus rides each year, and one of those comes today.
It's 2 1/2 hours each way to Walt Disney World, longtime spring home of the Braves - but not for long. Atlanta will be relocating to North Port in Sarasota County on the Gulf Coast next year, all but eliminating Central Florida from...
JUPITER, Fla. - Erick Fedde believes he's ready to become a trusted member of the Nationals rotation. But he recognizes that, barring injury, there probably won't be a spot for him in the rotation coming out of spring training.
Such a realization might normally be enough to discourage a young right-hander who already has spent more time in the minors than he'd prefer. But Fedde chooses to take more of a glass-half-full approach to the situation.
"Last year, I think we used 21 pitchers in...
JUPITER, Fla. - If he had a track record of good health, the sight of Koda Glover walking off the mound at Roger Dean Stadium this afternoon with what he described as "elbow tightness" might not have been enough to send red flags up throughout the Nationals dugout and front office.
Alas, Glover has an extensive track record of arm trouble, having been through Tommy John surgery while he was in college and then two years of rotator cuff problems once he reached the majors.
And so that image...
JUPITER, Fla. - The Nationals insist they want to be better fundamentally this season, and that includes more efficient at-bats with runners in scoring position. They're living up to the mantra so far this afternoon against the Cardinals.
The Nats jumped out to a 4-0 lead after three innings, with all four runs scoring on something other than a base hit.
Adrian Sanchez drove home the day's first run with an RBI groundout in the top of the second, allowing Victor Robles (who walked and...
JUPITER, Fla. - The Nationals are emphasizing defensive improvement this spring, and they believe that can be achieved in multiple forms.
There's the obvious: upgrades in personnel. Brian Dozier will be better at second base than Daniel Murphy. Victor Robles and/or Michael A. Taylor will be better in center field than Bryce Harper. Yan Gomes and Kurt Suzuki should be better behind the plate than Matt Wieters.
There's also the approach: Manager Davey Martinez and his coaches are drilling into...
JUPITER, Fla. - It's a quick turnaround for the Nationals from last night's Grapefruit League opener to this afternoon's road debut against the Cardinals. Most of the significant names that played last night aren't making the trip to Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, but Matt Adams and Adam Eaton will both be in the lineup (though Eaton will be the DH after starting in right field last night).
We'll get our first look at the Trea Turner-Brian Dozier double play combo, as well as our first look...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - There's a generally accepted rule in spring training that veteran players need only stay in the dugout watching exhibition games until the mass substitutions start taking place, usually around the fourth inning or so during this first week of play.
Ryan Zimmerman, though, spoke to his Nationals teammates before Saturday night's Grapefruit League opener and made it clear no one was to leave the dugout until the completion of the fifth inning, until Aaron Barrett had...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Max Scherzer hasn't been holding back this spring in his criticism of the state of baseball and the various theories and proposals that have been put forth in an attempt to address problem areas. And you can now add the pitch clock to his list of grievances.
Scherzer voiced strong opposition tonight to Major League Baseball's latest change to improve pace of play, declaring himself "fundamentally against" the pitch clock after experiencing it for the first time...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Max Scherzer served up a home run to the second batter he faced in Florida last spring, and everything worked out just fine for the Nationals ace by season's end.
He can only hope this season will play out in a similar fashion after he served up a homer to the very first batter he faced tonight in his spring debut.
Taking the ball for the Nationals' Grapefruit League opener against the Astros, Scherzer surrendered a towering homer over the center field wall to leadoff...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Nationals are fielding a fairly representative lineup for tonight's Grapefruit League opener, with Adam Eaton, Howie Kendrick, Juan Soto, Anthony Rendon, Matt Adams and Yan Gomes among the guys starting against the Astros. Those regulars who aren't playing tonight will be seeing action within a matter of days, and that includes the guy who sat out most of spring training last year.
Ryan Zimmerman is slated to make his 2019 debut early next week, according to...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Yes, there's a ballgame being played tonight. At last. The Nationals host the Astros at their shared complex in the Grapefruit League opener for both teams, the first of six head-to-head matchups over the next month. They're going to get to know each other very well.
There is a slight difference in the two teams' lineups for tonight's opener. A.J. Hinch doesn't have a whole lot of experience on his lineup card, though there are some top prospects in there. Davey...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - It's been a long, hard winter in Washington, especially for anyone associated with a Nationals club that has eagerly been waiting to put last season's disappointment behind them and start over fresh in 2019.
Well, there's some good news to share: The Nationals are playing a ballgame tonight. Against another major league team. With a 20-second pitch clock making its debut.
More on that pitch clock in just a moment, but we'll begin with the Grapefruit League opener...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The final day of full-squad workouts before Grapefruit League play opens Saturday night saw the Nationals debut a new fundamentals drill that underscored their renewed emphasis on little things this spring.
The entire team gathered on Field 3 for a situational defense and baserunning drill, one with a twist.
Davey Martinez had mapped out 15 different game situations for everyone to simulate. Situations like: "Runners on first and second, nobody out, bunt play," or...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Modern pitchers have had it drilled into their heads from the moment they become professionals. Take days off. Don't throw too much. Especially in the offseason. Give the arm time to recover before you ramp it up again.
Koda Glover tried that, and all it got him was two mostly wasted seasons dealing with a rotator cuff injury. So this winter, after he had just made it through the second half of the season healthy, the Nationals reliever decided to try something...
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The recipient of the largest contract given to a free agent pitcher this winter strolls through the Nationals clubhouse without drawing any attention. He's just one of the guys.
When reporters and fans cluster around the bullpen or one of the practice fields to watch this team's big-name pitchers throw, they seek out Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg or even Sean Doolittle, all instantly recognizable figures.
Patrick Corbin? He's out there with everyone else, but the...
