Suzuki available to pinch-hit, Adams could be soon (Nats up 5-4)

MIAMI - Kurt Suzuki played catch from 60 feet today, the first time the Nationals catcher has been able to throw a ball since he departed a Sept. 7 game in Atlanta with right elbow inflammation.

It was merely a first step for Suzuki, who has several more to take before he can return to the lineup. But it was a positive step for the veteran catcher, whose team hopes to have him back in some capacity for the season's final week-and-a-half.

Even if Suzuki isn't ready to get behind the plate yet, he could be ready to step to the plate with a bat. He has taken several rounds of full batting practice and thus could be an option for manager Davey Martinez off the bench as soon as tonight.

"Kurt's good. He threw 60 feet today, which is encouraging," Martinez said. "We'll see how he feels tomorrow. But hopefully he can pinch-hit, which is kind of nice. He'll be available to pinch-hit today, and then we'll go from there."

Yan Gomes is starting for the 12th time in 13 games tonight, and though the 32-year-old has done an admirable job filling in for Suzuki, the Nationals know they need both veteran catchers available soon. With a day game Sunday following Saturday night's game, then a doubleheader Tuesday against the Phillies, Martinez may have no choice but to give rookie Raudy Read or Tres Barrera another start unless Suzuki is ready to return.

Meanwhile, Matt Adams took a full round of batting practice on the field today, the first time he's done that since spraining the AC joint in his left shoulder eight days ago. Adams will continue to take BP for a couple of days, Martinez said, after which he could be cleared to pinch-hit.

Update: The Nationals have had a habit all season of struggling to mount any kind of offense against an opposing young starter they've never seen before, then figuring things out the second and third time through the order. Well, guess what's happening tonight? Robert Dugger, making his first career start vs. this team, did not give up a hit the first time through the Nats lineup. Then Trea Turner homered in his second at-bat. Then Juan Soto walked. Then Howie Kendrick singled. And then Asdrúbal Cabrera clubbed a three-run homer. The Nationals lead 4-2 after four, with Aníbal Sánchez cruising through his first two innings but then running into trouble in the third and fourth. He gave up a double, balked the runner to third and let him score on an RBI single in the third. Starlin Castro then launched a one-out homer in the fourth off a changeup that Sánchez left up in the zone.

Update II: It's getting a bit tense here. The Nats extended the lead to 5-2 in the top of the sixth when Victor Robles singled home Kendrick, who barely crossed the plate before Robles was thrown out trying to reach second base. But the Marlins got two runs back in the bottom of the inning. Sánchez let the first two batters reach. Wander Suero then let both inherited runners score, leaving two more runners on base for Tanner Rainey to inherit. Rainey successfully struck out Harold Ramirez to escape the jam, but the Nats now lead 5-4 after six, with a lot of baseball (and a lot of relievers) still to come tonight.