Lerner arrives in camp, watches young pitchers in live BP

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The second day of full-squad workouts saw the arrival of Nationals managing principal owner Mark Lerner, the return of several pitchers for their second round of live batting practice and some moments of levity.

Mark Lerner made his first appearance of the spring at camp, his first public appearance since the death of his father, founding principal owner Ted Lerner, on Feb. 12. Mark Lerner was greeted by nearly everyone in the organization over the course of the morning, accepting condolences and offering thanks to everyone who has shared kind words about his 97-year-old father.

Lerner, who hasn’t spoken publicly about the potential sale of the franchise since early last year, wasn’t subjected to questions from reporters today.

Lerner did make a point to watch several drills up close, including live BP sessions by two of the organization’s top rotation candidates: Josiah Gray and Cade Cavalli. Both faced hitters for the second time in camp.

Gray went up against a group of hitters that included Victor Robles and Matt Adams. The young right-hander continued to emphasize a straighter stride toward the plate upon delivery, his biggest point of emphasis over the winter. He also showed again what has made him most successful since arriving in the big leagues: his breaking ball, which he got Robles to whiff at during the session.

Pitching on an adjacent field, Cavalli faced a group that included new left fielder Corey Dickerson and minor league catcher Brady Lindsly (who was Cavalli’s college catcher at Oklahoma before the Nats drafted him).

Most of the Nationals’ top executives, including Lerner, made a point to watch Cavalli’s live BP.

“I don’t think he knew they were there,” manager Davey Martinez said of the 24-year-old top pitching prospect. “He gets on that mound, and he’s driven by doing everything right. He understands where he’s at. He’s young. He’s one of our guys. But the biggest thing for him is to focus on throwing strikes. His stuff is really good; it plays. He just has to focus on throwing strikes. I don’t think he’s trying to make an impression on anyone. I think he’s just going out there and trying to compete. He is a competitor, and he loves to win.”

Others who threw live BP today were Matt Cronin, Victor Arano, Mason Thompson, Jordan Weems, Andres Machado, Tommy Romero, Anthony Banda and Gerardo Carrillo.

Martinez wasn’t ready to announce any rotation plans for the start of Grapefruit League play; he intended to meet with pitching coach Jim Hickey later this afternoon to map that all out. The Nationals are scheduled to open exhibition play Saturday against the Cardinals in Jupiter, with split-squad games Sunday against the Astros in West Palm Beach and the Mets in Port St. Lucie. Bench coach Tim Bogar will manage the road game, with Martinez staying on site for the home game.

The moment of levity during today’s workout came when a brash fan with a thick New York accent wearing a royal blue T-shirt yelled out to Dominic Smith.

“Hey Dom, remember me?” the obvious Mets fan shouted. “We miss you! We’ll be rooting for you, except when you play that other team, of course! I won’t say their name!”

Smith, who signed a $2 million deal with the Nationals this winter, smiled back. This surely wasn’t the first brash Mets fan he’s encountered, nor will it be the last.