Starting lineups: Nats vs. Cardinals in West Palm Beach

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – We are 10 days away from Opening Day. And we perhaps are looking at the Nationals’ Opening Day lineup today.

Maybe the order will be a little different, with Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Bell maybe switching places, but these are almost certainly the nine guys who will take the field March 27 against the Phillies. It’s not a perfect lineup, by any stretch. But on paper it sure looks a lot more fearsome and a lot deeper than it typically did last season, right?

We also know that the guy on the mound this afternoon will be the guy on the mound for Game 1. Davey Martinez officially named MacKenzie Gore his Opening Day starter this morning. It’s not a huge surprise, but it is a significant development for the young lefty, who is now being tasked with leading the staff (ideally for years to come).

In a twist of fate, the Nationals today will be facing a former member of their staff: Erick Fedde. The now-veteran right-hander has been on quite a journey the last few years, from D.C. to South Korea to the South Side of Chicago and now to St. Louis. He’s one of the Cardinals’ most trusted starters at this point, quite the development in his career timeline.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
Where: CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach
Gametime: 1:05 p.m. EDT
TV: None
Radio: Nationals.com, MLB.com
Weather: Sunny, 72 degrees, wind 17 mph left field to right field

NATIONALS
SS CJ Abrams
RF Dylan Crews
LF James Wood
DH Josh Bell
1B Nathaniel Lowe
2B Luis García Jr.
3B Paul DeJong
C Keibert Ruiz
CF Jacob Young

LHP MacKenzie Gore

CARDINALS
LF Victor Scott II
CF Michael Siani
RF Jordan Walker
C Ivan Herrera
2B Nolan Gorman
1B Luken Baker
3B José Fermin
SS Jose Barrero
DH Ryan Vilade

RHP Erick Fedde