Mark Zuckerman

Runs have been scarce so far this spring for Nationals

February 28, 2018, 5:06pm

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - If you have been paying attention to the Grapefruit League scoreboard - and, truth be told, you probably shouldn't be paying that much attention to it - you've no doubt noticed the Nationals exhibition season isn't off to a rousing start. The Nats have played six games to date, going 1-4-1 overall. (Ties are allowed in the spring, cause who really wants to watch extra innings in February and March?) They've also scored only 17 runs, and nine of those came in...

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Taylor's leaping catch highlights otherwise sleepy Nats loss

February 28, 2018, 11:36am

Nationals

Taylor's leaping catch highlights otherwise sleepy Nats loss

JUPITER, Fla. - On a day when hits were scarce and runs were even scarcer, the most attention-grabbing moment of the Nationals' 3-1 loss to the Marlins came via Michael A. Taylor's legs and outstretched left arm. Retreating to the center field wall on Derek Dietrich's third-inning drive, Taylor perfectly timed his leap and robbed the Marlins cleanup hitter of a likely home run. The sleepy Roger Dean Stadium crowd of 1,987 oohed and aahed and then applauded as Taylor trotted back to the...

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Harper scratched from lineup with ingrown toenail (Nats lose 3-1)

February 28, 2018, 8:52am

Nationals

Harper scratched from lineup with ingrown toenail (Nats lose 3-1)

JUPITER, Fla. - Originally scheduled to play back-to-back days for the first time this spring, Bryce Harper wound up not being able to play today's game at all. Harper was scratched from the lineup with an ingrown toenail, a seemingly insignificant ailment but one that has been a problem for the star outfielder before. Harper had to miss two games in May 2013 after suffering from an ingrown toenail that was so bad it had to be surgically removed. No word yet how much time the 25-year-old...

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Hump day: Martinez opens morning workout with live camels

February 28, 2018, 7:56am

Nationals

Hump day: Martinez opens morning workout with live camels

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The daily Circle of Trust meeting began just any other. As players gathered around the Nationals logo at the center of their athletic turf field outside FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, bench coach Chip Hale went over the good and the bad from yesterday's exhibition game, then detailed the plan for this morning's workout. And then things got a little weird. A recording was played of third base coach Bob Henley, frequently the most boisterous speaker at these...

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Starting lineups: Nats vs. Marlins in Jupiter (Harper scratched)

February 28, 2018, 5:14am

Nationals

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Marlins in Jupiter (Harper scratched)

JUPITER, Fla. - Well, it's been quite a morning already in Nationals camp. The day began with a surprise twist to the club's morning "Circle of Trust" meeting: Coaches Bob Henley and Tim Bogar rode in on camels, yelling out "Hump Day!" and eventually making all the players walk through the tunnel they created to symbolize how the Nationals are trying to get over the proverbial hump this season. This was all concocted by manager Davey Martinez, and I'll have plenty more on all this a...

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Adams sidelined, Zimmerman still waiting, Grace avoids injury

February 27, 2018, 5:24pm

Nationals

Adams sidelined, Zimmerman still waiting, Grace avoids injury

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - With Ryan Zimmerman being held back until the calendar at least reads March, Matt Adams was in position to get a bunch of playing time at first base early this spring. The offseason addition, though, was scratched from yesterday's lineup and is expected to miss a couple more days with a blister that developed on his right foot. Adams reported the issue yesterday morning and showed the blister to manager Davey Martinez. He was immediately scratched from the lineup and...

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Durable as ever, Gonzalez starts seventh year in D.C. on right foot

February 27, 2018, 12:00pm

Nationals

Durable as ever, Gonzalez starts seventh year in D.C. on right foot

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The good news: Gio Gonzalez looked a lot like his 2017 version in his first inning of 2018. The bad news: That meant the Nationals left-hander was pitching out of the stretch with runners on base, forced to battle his way out of a jam. At this point, the Nats know that's simply what they're going to get from Gonzalez, who managed to walk the tightrope all last season and emerge unscathed the vast majority of the time. "He knows for him it's (important) to avoid that...

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Familiar results from pitchers vs. Marlins (Nats, Fish tie 2-2)

February 27, 2018, 9:04am

Nationals

Familiar results from pitchers vs. Marlins (Nats, Fish tie 2-2)

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Gio Gonzalez pitched out of a jam. Sean Doolittle threw a ton of fastballs during a scoreless inning of relief. Brandon Kintzler struck out two of the four batters he faced. Change the setting from a lazy February afternoon in Florida to a warm July evening in Washington, and the early innings of today's exhibition game would've looked very much like a typical regular season affair for the Nationals. (Well, except for the Kintzler strikeouts.) Making his first start of...

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Eaton ready to go, but Nats waiting to put him in a game

February 27, 2018, 8:02am

Nationals

Eaton ready to go, but Nats waiting to put him in a game

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Adam Eaton participated fully in pregame workouts with the rest of the Nationals this morning. He did defensive drills in left field. He took batting practice, then live BP off a pitcher. He did everything his teammates did. So how come he hasn't played in a game yet, nor is apparently on the verge of playing in a game the next few days? "If I get into a game today, is that going to help us get to opening day? Probably not," Eaton said. "We're going to take it and...

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Starting lineups: Nats vs. Marlins in West Palm Beach (updated)

February 27, 2018, 4:33am

Nationals

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Marlins in West Palm Beach (updated)

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - We haven't seen a lot of the Nationals' regulars during the first four games of the Grapefruit League season, but now we're about to start getting more of them. Five regulars plus Howie Kendrick (who might as well be a regular) are in the lineup today against the Marlins. That includes Trea Turner (leading off), Matt Wieters (batting second!), Bryce Harper, Anthony Rendon and Michael A. Taylor. And all five of those guys are scheduled to play again tomorrow when the...

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Too soon to worry about baserunning mistakes?

February 26, 2018, 5:05pm

Nationals

Too soon to worry about baserunning mistakes?

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Davey Martinez wants his guys to be aggressive on the bases, especially in spring training when the stakes aren't high. But the Nationals have already run themselves into eight outs on the bases in their first four Grapefruit League games. Isn't that at least some cause for concern? "That's OK. That's OK," Martinez insisted yesterday following a 2-1 loss to the Braves in Lake Buena Vista. "I'd rather them be aggressive that way and not take any chances. We talked...

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Healthy again, Fedde better prepared for his next promotion

February 26, 2018, 11:29am

Nationals

Healthy again, Fedde better prepared for his next promotion

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - The pitching line - one run, four hits, one walk, one strikeout in two innings - made this, in Erick Fedde's own words, a "pretty mediocre outing." The more important numbers from Fedde's spring training debut, though, might have been 93 to 96. That's what the radar gun at ESPN Wide World of Sports consistently flashed on the Nationals right-hander's fastballs, a significant increase in velocity from the last time we saw him pitch in a game late last...

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Robles making an early case, Fedde throwing harder (Nats lose 2-1)

February 26, 2018, 9:20am

Nationals

Robles making an early case, Fedde throwing harder (Nats lose 2-1)

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - Victor Robles has played in all four games of the spring so far for the Nationals, and he's done something that made you pause and watch in all four games, further emphasizing his potential star power for this franchise. Starting in center field and batting second today against the Braves, Robles has been up to his old tricks. He singled in the top of the first, then doubled in the top of the third before getting a bit aggressive on the bases and running into an...

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Roark to start on three days' rest as Nats shuffle rotation

February 26, 2018, 7:55am

Nationals

Roark to start on three days' rest as Nats shuffle rotation

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - As they start to line up the members of their rotation for the regular season, the Nationals are left to juggle a few assignments during this early portion of the exhibition slate. Thus, Tanner Roark (who made his spring debut Saturday against the Marlins in Jupiter) will be back on the mound Wednesday against the Marlins in Jupiter, despite pitching on only three days' rest. The Nationals mapped it out like this, and Roark (who threw 33 pitches over two innings on...

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Starting lineups: Nats vs. Braves in Lake Buena Vista

February 26, 2018, 5:04am

Nationals

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Braves in Lake Buena Vista

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. - And a very pleasant good morning to you from the (self-proclaimed) happiest place on earth. The Nationals used to make a bunch of trips to Disney to play the Braves. Now that they've relocated to West Palm Beach, they're only making the 2 1/2-hour drive up here twice this spring (today and Thursday). And given how long that trip is, they didn't bring very many players of consequence today. The lineup features Wilmer Difo, Victor Robles and Pedro Severino. The...

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At plate and on bases, new-look Wieters shows off

February 25, 2018, 5:21pm

Nationals

At plate and on bases, new-look Wieters shows off

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - For nearly two weeks, we've heard Nationals catcher Matt Wieters talk about how much better he feels than he did last season. We've heard Davey Martinez talk about how good Wieters looks. And we've heard Kevin Long rave about the changes Wieters has made to his swing. Which is all nice, except that it was all idle chatter until Wieters actually stepped to the plate in a game and did something to confirm all those positive assessments. Which is exactly what he did...

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Scherzer strong, Kelley healthy in first outings of spring

February 25, 2018, 11:53am

Nationals

Scherzer strong, Kelley healthy in first outings of spring

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Given how much he has been throwing already this spring - including the 60-pitch bullpen session on the first day of camp - a nice, simple, 23-pitch outing today against the Braves must've felt like a breeze to Max Scherzer. Right? "No," the Nationals ace said with a laugh. "It's amazing, once you put a real game out there and you put somebody with a different uniform (in the box), everything gets turned up a little bit. So, yeah, I'll be sore tomorrow even though...

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Eventful start to spring home opener (Nats win 9-3)

February 25, 2018, 9:01am

Nationals

Eventful start to spring home opener (Nats win 9-3)

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Max Scherzer was sharp in his spring debut (except for one pitch). Matt Wieters showed off his new hitting stroke (and his faster wheels). And Shawn Kelley had to be absolutely thrilled with his first appearance since a disastrous 2017. The Nationals' home opener at FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches is off to an eventful start, headlined by Scherzer's first outing of 2018. Scherzer retired six of seven batters faced over two innings, striking out three and throwing...

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Martinez wants Turner to keep running, even in front of Harper

February 25, 2018, 6:50am

Nationals

Martinez wants Turner to keep running, even in front of Harper

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Given his association with analytics, it's easy to assume Davey Martinez isn't a big proponent of the stolen base. The Cubs stole only 62 bases last season, fourth-fewest in the National League. Then again, the Cubs didn't have Trea Turner. Which changes the whole ballgame. Over his last 162 big league games, Turner has swiped 76 bases. Martinez isn't about to tell one of the fastest players in the sport to ease off the gas pedal. Even if he doesn't regularly hit...

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Starting lineups: Nats vs. Braves in West Palm Beach

February 25, 2018, 4:39am

Nationals

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Braves in West Palm Beach

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The sun is shining, Max Scherzer is on the mound for the Nationals, most of the regulars are in the lineup, and MASN's Bob Carpenter, F.P. Santangelo and Dan Kolko are in the house. What more could you ask for? Well, there's one more thing you thought you were getting today but actually aren't. Ryan Zimmerman was initially listed as the leadoff hitter for today's game against the Braves, but when the lineup was posted this morning in the clubhouse he wasn't in there...