Starting lineups: Nats vs. Yankees in Tampa

TAMPA – The Nationals’ spring relocation from remote Viera to centrally located West Palm Beach six years ago cut their travel down to a fraction of what it used to be. Most of their road games now are played on site against the Astros or 15 minutes away in Jupiter, with a few 45-minute trips to Port St. Lucie thrown in.

There are, however, still two long trips on the Grapefruit League schedule this year. And the longest of them has come today, with the Nats making the 3 1/2-hour trek to the opposite side of the state to face the Yankees.

Given that, you can imagine Davey Martinez wasn’t going to make most of his regulars ride the bus for a seven-hour round trip. So today’s lineup features only a handful of regulars (most of them young and/or inexperienced). It also doesn’t include a member of the projected Opening Day rotation. Instead, it’s Cory Abbott (whose best chance of making the team is as a long reliever) taking the mound to face the Bronx Bombers.

There are some kids from minor league camp who were promoted for the day and given the opportunity make this trip, though, headlined by the organization’s new No. 1 prospect: Outfielder James Wood. Stay tuned for the later innings to see if he gets an at-bat.

Today’s game is being broadcast nationally on ESPN. It’s Kevin Brown, Jessica Mendoza and the great Tim Kurkjian on the call. It’s also the last game of my first stint down here this spring. Bobby Blanco has arrived in West Palm Beach and will take the beat writer reins for the next week, so be sure to follow him and read his work until I return on March 9.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. NEW YORK YANKEES
Where: Steinbrenner Field, Tampa
Gametime: 1:05 p.m. EST
TV: ESPN
Radio: None
Weather: Partly cloudy, 81 degrees, wind 7 mph out to center field

NATIONALS
SS CJ Abrams
LF Alex Call
2B Luis García
1B Joey Meneses
RF Stone Garrett
3B Ildemaro Vargas
C Riley Adams
CF Derek Hill
DH Lucius Fox

RHP Cory Abbott

YANKEES
2B DJ LeMahieu
RF Aaron Judge
1B Anthony Rizzo
DH Giancarlo Stanton
3B Josh Donaldson
CF Harrison Bader
LF Aaron Hicks
C Kyle Higashioka
SS Isiah Kiner-Falefa

RHP Domingo Germán