Game 139 lineups: Nats vs. Braves (Strasburg, Drew return)

With their lead in the National League East a comfortable 8 1/2 games and their magic number at 16, there is some, but not a ton, of drama left to the Nationals' season. While the actual end result of every game does matter most in the end, at this point you could argue there are more important individual matters still at stake over the final 24 games.

And among the most important individual matters is the return of Stephen Strasburg, which begins tonight at Nationals Park.

After a 16-day stint on the disabled list with a sore right elbow, Strasburg is back on the mound against the Braves. He threw off a bullpen mound five times in the last week-plus, and all indications are that he's healthy. But there are questions: Can he stay healthy? Can he recapture the dominant form he displayed through the season's first four months? Can he build his arm up enough over the next three weeks to leave him in peak form entering the postseason?

Here's another important individual development to keep an eye on: Stephen Drew. The veteran infielder, like Strasburg, has been activated off the DL after missing more than a month with an inner-ear condition that left him dizzy with vertigo-like symptoms. Drew's return is very significant for the Nationals, who need his experience and versatility across the infield. Not to mention his ability to give starters a breather.

Along those lines, Dusty Baker said last night he planned to give Anthony Rendon the day off, even after the third baseman hit his first career grand slam. And Baker has stayed true to his word: Rendon is off tonight, with Wilmer Difo making only his second career start at third base.

ATLANTA BRAVES at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 7:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, XM 186, MLB.com
Weather: Chance of rain, 84 degrees, wind 6 mph out to center field

NATIONALS (81-57)
CF Trea Turner
LF Jayson Werth
2B Daniel Murphy
RF Bryce Harper
C Wilson Ramos
1B Ryan Zimmerman
SS Danny Espinosa
3B Wilmer Difo
RHP Stephen Strasburg

BRAVES (54-85)
CF Ender Inciarte
3B Adonis Garcia
1B Freddie Freeman
LF Matt Kemp
RF Nick Markakis
C Tyler Flowers
2B Jace Peterson
SS Dansby Swanson
RHP Mike Foltynewicz