Game 16 lineups: Nats at Mets (Doolittle to IL, Romero promoted)

For all the issues they've got right now - and there are issues - the Nationals have a chance today to win a series against a division rival. A four-game series, at that.

After taking the first two games at Citi Field, then dropping Wednesday night's not-so-pretty contest, the Nats go back at it against the Mets this afternoon for the finale. The forecast in New York (just like here in D.C.) isn't great, but they'll give it a go and hope for the best.

The Nationals really need quality innings today from Austin Voth. Aníbal Sánchez got knocked out in the third inning Wednesday, and there's a suspended game to complete and a full game to play Friday in Baltimore, so Davey Martinez would love to conserve his bullpen arms. Voth can help that cause by going six innings this afternoon, something that has not been a foregone conclusion for the right-hander to date.

Martinez does have two new bullpen arms available: Will Harris, who was activated off the injured list as expected two weeks after suffering from a groin strain, and young lefty Seth Romero, just promoted from the taxi squad minutes before first pitch. Sam Freeman was placed on the 10-day IL with a left flexor mass strain, as expected. Sean Doolittle also was placed on the 10-day IL with what the club is calling "right knee fatigue," which was less expected. The Doolittle injury opens the door for Romero - a 2017 first-round pick who missed all of last season recovering from Tommy John surgery and has never pitched above low-Single-A Hagerstown - to make his major league debut. Wow.

The lineup features Michael A. Taylor in center field instead of Victor Robles, who had to come out of Wednesday's game after getting hit by a pitch on his right hand. Martinez said Robles is OK, but he wanted to give him the day off for precautionary reasons.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at NEW YORK METS
Where: Citi Field
Gametime: 1:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB Network (outside D.C. market), MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Chance of storms, 80 degrees, wind 6 mph in from center field

NATIONALS
SS Trea Turner
RF Adam Eaton
2B Starlin Castro
LF Juan Soto
DH Howie Kendrick
1B Asdrúbal Cabrera
3B Carter Kieboom
C Yan Gomes
CF Michael A. Taylor

RHP Austin Voth

METS
CF Brandon Nimmo
3B J.D. Davis
LF Jeff McNeil
RF Michael Conforto
1B Pete Alonso
DH Dominic Smith
SS Andrés Giménez
C Tomas Nido
2B Luis Guillorme

LHP David Peterson