Mayor approves Nats Park for workouts, fan-less games

The schedule hasn't been finalized yet. The protocols are still being fine-tuned. More players could choose to opt out. But 48 hours from now, the Nationals will be gathering on South Capitol Street for their first team workout in nearly four months.

Summer training is officially approved for Nationals Park after D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser granted the team a waiver Tuesday to hold group workouts in its home ballpark. Camp is scheduled to open Friday and run for almost three weeks, setting the stage for opening day on either July 23 or 24.

What's it all going to look like? Not like anything we're used to seeing.

With only one field, two bullpens and two underground batting cages at their disposal, the Nationals will probably need to stagger their workout schedule over the course of the day. Smaller groups will take the field in stages, not only to ensure everyone has room to work but also to prevent too many people from being too close to each other at the same time.

We don't know precise details yet, but the work that takes place should bear some resemblance to the workouts that are held during the first two weeks of spring training under normal circumstances.

Pitchers will build their arms up in bullpen sessions while also participating in fielding and other fundamental drills. Infielders will take grounders and work on positioning. Outfielders will perfect footwork and throwing techniques. Everyone will take batting practice. (Well, not the pitchers since the National League is using the designated hitter this season. Though no one should be surprised if Max Scherzer sneaks his way into the cage.)

At a normal spring training camp, the early workouts would lead into a month's worth of Grapefruit League games. That won't be happening at summer training camp. Major League Baseball has informed teams they are allowed to play up to three exhibition games at the end of camp, but those games would need to be played against other local teams (for the Nationals, that would be the Orioles) or the team they'll be facing on opening day if the opponents are willing to travel early (this could end up being the Yankees, though that's not official yet).

With so little opportunity to play in games, the Nationals could choose to hold scrimmages or intrasquad games during the final week-plus of camp. Just something to give pitchers a chance to face hitters for several innings at a time and vice versa.

Suffice it to say, players won't be nearly as close to game-ready as they normally are. But they'll have no choice. They'll have to hope they're as prepared as possible when the regular season begins in three weeks.

Everyone from the 60-player pool roster that was announced over the weekend is eligible to participate in camp. (The Nationals currently have 58 players on their camp roster after Ryan Zimmerman and Joe Ross announced their intentions to sit out the season. More opt-outs could be coming in the next few days.)

Some of those players, though, could end up working out at the team's supplemental roster site, which is expected to be the new Single-A ballpark in Fredericksburg. Over time, more players will head down Interstate 95 and continue workouts with the supplemental squad, which will be serving as a de facto Triple-A club all summer as the only option for call-ups when the big league club has needs.

Neither ballpark will feature fans in attendance, of course. Though the various local and state governments around the country will have the ability to permit fans in limited numbers to watch the games in person, Bowser said Tuesday there will be no fans at Nationals Park to begin this season.