MIAMI – The situation was almost comical, until you realized how painful it also was and how upsetting it must have been for everyone associated with the Nationals who nearly ran out of catchers during Tuesday night’s 7-5 win over the Marlins.

Riley Adams had already been forced to leave the game after taking a foul ball off his groin in the bottom of the second. Now, seven innings later, Jorge Alfaro had the exact same thing happen to him, leaving the veteran stunned and trying to walk it off as interim manager Miguel Cairo rushed from the dugout to check on him.

Keibert Ruiz and Drew Millas were already on the injured list. Adams was out of the game. What would the Nats have done if Alfaro had to depart as well?

Hey, Andres Chaparro, how about you try on a catcher’s mask and mitt and see how it goes.

Chaparro, a first baseman and designated hitter who has never caught as a professional ballplayer, did indeed don the bare minimum tools of ignorance to catch Mitchell Parker’s warm-up pitches prior to the bottom of the third Tuesday night while Alfaro put his gear back on after batting in the top of the inning. Chaparro didn’t exactly look comfortable back there, but he would’ve been the guy if the team needed an emergency catcher.

There are few surer things in baseball right now than David Peterson mowing down the Washington Nationals.

Stick the Mets left-hander on the mound against this particular lineup, and you probably know the results before he ever throws a pitch. Just let Peterson throw his tantalizing assortment of 90 mph sinkers, breaking balls and changeups and watch as the Nats continue to flail away, making precious little solid contact.

It’s happened before. It happened again tonight. And unless the Nationals’ position players actually do something to adjust, it’s pretty much guaranteed to happen again the next time they meet.

Tonight’s 8-1 loss might have stood out if not for the fact it was a near-repeat of Peterson’s last start against the Nats, when he tossed a six-hit shutout at Citi Field.

They didn’t score off him the time before that, either. All told, Peterson had thrown 25 consecutive scoreless innings against the Nationals before they finally broke through in the bottom of the eighth tonight. And the dominance isn’t confined to this current inexperienced lineup. During a career that began in 2020, Peterson has now faced the Nats a total of 14 times (11 of them starts). The Mets’ record in those games: 13-1.

Andrés Chaparro’s last stint with the Nationals didn’t include much playing time, to put it mildly. He appeared in only four games during three weeks on the big league roster in June.

This time around, there should be considerably more at-bats for the 26-year-old first baseman/designated hitter, who was recalled from Triple-A Rochester in a roster swap with infielder José Tena.

“He’s going to be playing against left-handed pitchers,” interim manager Miguel Cairo said. “I’m going to try to mix it up. It depends how he does. But we want to see him, and he should have an opportunity to show what he can do.”

Sure enough, Chaparro is in tonight’s lineup against Mets left-hander David Peterson, batting seventh and starting at first base, with Josh Bell back in the DH role after several starts at first base over the weekend.

The Nats saw glimpses of Chaparro’s production late last season, when he totaled 12 doubles and four homers in 33 games. But he went just 1-for-11 in his earlier stint this summer, stuck on the bench behind both Bell and Nathaniel Lowe.

The Nationals survived the first of four consecutive series against playoff contenders from Philadelphia and New York, splitting their four-game series with the Phillies. Next up, it’s the Mets, who come to town in a bit of a tailspin, having lost 14 of their last 17 while dealing with all kinds of injuries. They did manage to win two in a row over the weekend against the Mariners, including Sunday night’s Little League Classic in Williamsport. So perhaps they’re on the mend. Either way, they can’t afford to lose this series to the Nats.

One of the surprising stalwarts of the New York rotation has been David Peterson, the veteran left-hander who has always resided at the back of the rotation but has ascended into a top starter this year, earning his first career All-Star selection. Peterson has been outstanding against the Nationals throughout his career, going 6-1 with a 2.64 ERA in 13 games (10 starts). That includes a six-hit, zero-walk shutout earlier this season at Citi Field.

Peterson’s opponent for that June 11 was Jake Irvin, who gave up four runs over five innings to take the loss. That was in stark contrast to Irvin’s April 25 start against the Mets, when he went 7 1/3 innings giving up only one run. He also dominated this lineup twice last season, memorably tossing eight innings of one-hit ball last July 4 and then also going 7 1/3 allowing only one run last September in Flushing.

Which version of Irvin shows up tonight? The Nationals would love for him to get back on track against an opponent he’s enjoyed success against more than once before.

NEW YORK METS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 6:45 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Chance of rain, 71 degrees, wind 9 mph in from right field

When the Nationals needed to clear a roster for Dylan Crews’ return from the 60-day injured list last week, they chose to designate starting first baseman Nathaniel Lowe for assignment and keep seldom-used infielder Jose Tena.

Now, after a four-game split with the Phillies, the Nats have sent Tena down in favor of another first baseman.

The club announced following Sunday’s wild 11-9 loss it had optioned Tena to Triple-A Rochester. No corresponding move was announced, but a source familiar with the decision confirmed the plan to promote Andres Chaparro, which was first reported by Rochester journalist Dan Glickman.

This set of transactions underscores several points: 1) Tena really wasn’t likely to get much playing time, even though he did start a couple of games over the weekend, 2) Chaparro provides a needed right-handed bat to a lineup that has been too lefty-heavy and 3) The Nationals dropped Lowe not because they needed to, but because they wanted to.

Regarding that final point, the decision to designate Lowe caught many by surprise, given his status as one of the team’s only experienced position players and the fact his $10.3 million salary was tops on the roster this year. But it had become clear over the last month-plus that Lowe simply wasn’t producing enough, and that his continued presence didn’t match up with the organization’s intended plan in both the short- and long-term.

After a week and a half of gorgeous weather in Southern California, the Nationals returned home and must now deal with the harsh reality of summer life back on the East Coast: Heat, humidity and rain.

Tonight’s homestand opener against the Tigers has been postponed, the club announced, due to the significant line of thunderstorms passing through the region this afternoon and evening. They’ll now play a day-night doubleheader Wednesday, with the rescheduled game at 1:05 p.m. in advance of the originally scheduled game at 6:45 p.m.

The Nats never had to consider any weather issues during their nine-game trip to Los Angeles, San Diego and Anaheim, with temperatures generally in the 70s and nothing but sunshine pouring down from the sky. It’s a different story back here in D.C., where temperatures have been in the 90s and dew points in the 70s, ingredients ripe for thunderstorms.

The first round of rain already blew through Nationals Park this afternoon, canceling batting practice for both teams. Though there is currently a break in the precipitation, several inches more are expected the rest of the evening and into Wednesday morning.

Fans who held tickets to tonight’s postponed game can use them for admittance to Wednesday’s 1:05 p.m. game. A separate ticket is required for the originally scheduled 6:45 p.m. game. The series still wraps up Thursday at 6:45 p.m., with a postgame fireworks show planned in advance of Friday’s traditional 11:05 a.m. Independence Day game against the Red Sox.

We’re not in California anymore. The Nationals at long last are back home after a nine-game trip west that featured a 4-5 record and a whole lot of beautiful weather days. That’s not the case anymore. It’s disgusting back here in the nation’s capital, with temperatures in the 90s, dew points in the mid-70s and heat indexes well over 100. And now there’s a massive line of storms headed this way, putting tonight’s series opener against the Tigers in serious jeopardy.

We’ll see how that all transpires, but in the meantime let’s assume they play as scheduled. The Nats will look to hold their own against the surprisingly best-in-baseball Tigers. At least they don’t have to face Tarik Skubal, who pitched another gem Sunday night and won’t pitch again until this weekend.

Jack Flaherty is no slouch, though, and the Nationals will need to put together quality at-bats against the 29-year-old, whose bottom-line numbers (5-9, 4.80 ERA) aren’t great but peripherals are much better (1.233 WHIP, 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings).

Trevor Williams, meanwhile, keeps chugging along for the Nats. At this point, you know what you’re going to get from the veteran right-hander. At best, he’s going to keep them in the game for five-ish innings. They just have to hope he keeps Detroit’s lineup to three or fewer runs along the way.

The Nats also made a pregame roster move: Paul DeJong has been activated off the 10-day injured list about 2 1/2 months after getting hit in the face by a fastball. Andrés Chaparro was optioned to Triple-A after he went just 1-for-11 in limited playing time.

NEW YORK – Looking to add some “thump” against left-handed pitching, Nationals manager Davey Martinez is deploying his new-look, righty-heavy lineup against the only southpaw starter they are scheduled to face during this three-game series against the Mets.

The most notable addition is Andrés Chaparro serving as the designated hitter in place of Josh Bell and hitting cleanup. Chaparro, who was recalled from Triple-A Rochester yesterday in hopes of being an impact right-handed bat, had two at-bats in last night’s loss after pinch-hitting for Bell in the eighth inning. He knocked a double off left-hander José Castillo into the right-center field in his first major league at-bat since September.

Other notable changes for tonight’s lineup: Amed Rosario is playing third base in place of José Tena and batting second; Riley Adams is catching in place of Keibert Ruiz; and Jacob Young is in center field instead of Robert Hassell III.

So what is Martinez looking for in those right-handed at-bats against David Peterson, who is the owner of a 2.80 ERA and 1.259 WHIP?

“Just work good at-bats,” the skipper said. “Chaparro, as you saw yesterday, he faced a lefty yesterday, he stayed on the ball and hit the ball well to right-center field. So I'm expecting kind of the same thing today. Just kind of stay on the ball and get some good swings off.”

NEW YORK – Before starting a three-game series against the Mets tonight, the Nationals answered a question that had been lingering since Sunday night: Who would fill the open roster spot?

After Sunday’s loss to the Rangers, the Nats optioned Nasim Nuñez to Triple-A Rochester, requiring a corresponding move when they arrived at Citi Field. The answer: Andrés Chaparro was officially recalled from Rochester in hopes he'll provide the Nats a much-needed right-handed boost.

“Very happy to be back in a major league clubhouse,” Chaparro said, via interpreter Mauricio Ortiz. “And it's also a lot of emotions because of what I went through last year with my baby. But again, happy to be back.”

What the 26-year-old and his family went through last year with his baby was an unbelievable tragedy. After his daughter, Gio Andrea, was born prematurely at the end of the season, she sadly passed away in late October.

That surely put his baseball life in the back seat. But Chaparro entered spring training with a good chance to make his first Opening Day roster, only to have that chance ripped away from him after a good camp when he injured an oblique muscle.

NEW YORK – After a 2-4 homestand, the Nationals are back on the road for a quick trip to Citi Field to play three games against the Mets. The Nats are actually a respectable 15-17 on the road this season. But they’re only 3-7 in away games against their National League East rivals.

The Nats have the right man on the mound for tonight’s opener as they try to get back to their winning ways. MacKenzie Gore has been nothing short of excellent to start this season, with a 2.87 ERA, 1.142 WHIP and major league-best 12.9 strikeouts per nine innings. The lefty has only been charged with a total of three runs over his last four starts, including back-to-back shutout performances over 13 innings against the Mariners and Cubs.

But perhaps more important for the Nationals is what they do against the guy who takes the mound for the other team. Griffin Canning has been impressive to start his first year in New York. The veteran right-hander is 6-2 with a 2.90 ERA and 1.322 WHIP over his 12 starts. And he’s coming off an impressive six shutout innings with seven strikeouts against the Dodgers his last time out.

The Nats did make a roster move this morning to help the offense: They officially recalled Andrés Chaparro from Triple-A to take the roster spot of Nasim Nuñez, who was optioned to Rochester after Sunday’s game.

But wait, the Nationals weren’t done. They also claimed right-hander Ryan Loutos off waivers from the Dodgers this afternoon and optioned him to Rochester, filling the 40-man roster.

SEATTLE – Cade Cavalli is nothing more than a minor league pitcher these days, no longer injured, no longer rehabbing, just trying to earn his way back to the major leagues. The way he’s pitching, he’s starting to make a compelling case for a promotion to D.C.

Cavalli dominated over five innings today for Triple-A Rochester, shutting out Columbus on three hits and a walk while striking out 10. It was the latest, and best, outing for the Nationals’ 2020 first-round pick in his prolonged quest to return from Tommy John surgery more than two years ago.

“I saw the reports,” manager Davey Martinez said. “I heard he threw really well. Ten strikeouts in five innings, which is awesome. That’s great for us, as well.”

Cavalli, who made his one and only major league start in August 2022, had elbow ligament reconstruction surgery in March 2023 and has been trying to make it back ever since. He spent all of 2023 and 2024 on the big league injured list, plus the first 45 days of this season before the club deemed him healthy and optioned him to Triple-A (where he was already pitching on a rehab assignment).

Now that he’s on a regular throwing regimen, Cavalli seems to be finding a groove. Over his last three starts, he’s allowed two total runs across 14 innings, striking out 23 while issuing only three walks.

A doctor’s review of the MRI taken on Dylan Crews confirmed the club’s initial diagnosis of a left oblique strain, but manager Davey Martinez could not offer anything resembling a timetable for the Nationals rookie to return.

Crews, who already had been dealing with a sore lower back and left side for about a week, experienced additional pain on a check-swing attempt in the fifth inning Tuesday night against the Braves. He was placed on the 10-day injured list the following afternoon, with top outfield prospect Robert Hassell III called up from Triple-A Rochester to take his roster spot.

The timetable for oblique strains varies from player to player and based on the severity of each injury. Nationals first baseman/designated hitter Andrés Chaparro suffered a left oblique strain during batting practice March 14 prior to a spring training game and tonight is finally beginning a rehab assignment with Rochester after going 4-for-15 with a double and a homer in five rehab games for the Nats’ rookie-level Florida Complex League team.

Asked how Crews’ injury compares to Chaparro’s ailment, Martinez redirected his answer to compliment Crews’ physical and mental makeup.

“I’ll be honest with you: When I played, I didn’t even know what an oblique was,” the manager said. “Every guy is different. He’s a very strong kid, I know that. He’s going to work diligently to get back as soon as possible. But we want to make sure that when he does come back, this doesn’t become a problem for him. Hopefully sooner than later, but we’re going to give him as much time as he needs to get him ready.”

BALTIMORE – He’s not in today’s lineup, but Jacob Young appears to be fine after a scary collision with the center field wall Saturday afternoon that left him on the ground in pain for several minutes.

Young found out after the game X-rays on his left shoulder were negative, and the Nationals outfielder also passed concussion tests. He’s sore, but he should be available to come off the bench this afternoon if his team needs him.

“It’s awesome,” manager Davey Martinez said. “I went back and looked at it: He hit the wall hard. I was kind of concerned he might have hurt his shoulder, or anything, or even come up with a concussion. But he’s a tough kid, as we all know, and he feels good.”

Young was trying to track down Ramón Laureano’s seventh-inning drive to deep center when he slammed into the Camden Yards wall and fell to the ground as Laureano raced into second base with an RBI double. He lay on the ground for several minutes as Martinez and director of athletic training Paul Lessard went to check on him. After a lengthy conversation, he was able to get up to his feet and walk off the field under his own power.

“It just knocked the air out of me when it first happened,” Young said. “That was my initial reaction: You just can’t breathe. It’s a scary feeling.”

Josh Bell will sit for the third straight game while dealing with a groin issue that kept him out of the lineup for the final two matchups in Cincinnati.

The Nationals designated hitter tweaked his right groin muscle running out a ground ball in the seventh inning of Friday night’s loss to the Reds. Manager Davey Martinez kept the 32-year-old out of the lineup for the final two games against the Reds as a precaution, especially due to the bad weather all weekend at Great American Ball Park.

But although Bell is feeling better, Martinez continues to practice caution, sitting him again for the opener against the Guardians, his former team.

“He's doing better. I'm being very cautious,” the skipper said during his pregame media session. “We have played in some bad weather. He's a big guy, so I want to make sure that he's OK. But he's definitely doing better. Yesterday he said he was a lot less sore than he was the day before, so that's good.”

Bell has struggled to start the season, hitting .139 with a .528 OPS in 30 games. Although, he is third on the team with five home runs and 14 RBIs. With him sidelined, Alex Call (and his .875 OPS) has the chance to play more, and is manning left field tonight while James Wood serves as the designated hitter.

TORONTO – Keibert Ruiz is behind the plate for the Nationals tonight, his fourth straight start to begin the season.

As much as Davey Martinez suggested he might try to give his workhorse starting catcher a few more days off this year, Ruiz’s early production has not only kept him in the lineup. It has bumped him up the lineup.

After batting seventh in each of the Nats’ first two games against the Phillies, Ruiz moved up to the cleanup spot for Sunday’s series finale. And now he’s batting third tonight in the series opener against the Blue Jays.

“He’s getting a chance to hit third today,” Martinez said, not exactly committing to this look long-term. “I wanted to break up our lefties, because (the Blue Jays) do have three left-handed relievers in their bullpen. But he’s swinging the bat well.”

That’s an understatement. On the heels of a miserable 2024 in which he slashed .229/.260/.359, Ruiz homered in each of this season’s first two games, once from the left side of the plate, once from the right. He added another hit and scored two runs Sunday, leaving him 5-for-10 with a double, two homers, three RBIs and a 1.745 OPS to date.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Andrés Chaparro will open the season on the injured list after an MRI today revealed a left oblique strain for the Nationals first baseman/designated hitter.

Chaparro was taking batting practice Friday prior to the Nats’ game against the Braves in North Port when he felt a “jab” in his side on one swing. He immediately left the field with a trainer and was scratched from the lineup.

Chaparro said he’s made some progress over the last 24 hours, but he’s still in some discomfort and was just hoping this afternoon the MRI results didn’t show a significant injury.

“It’s kind of a pulsing thing on my side,” he said, via interpreter Kenny Diaz. “It’s almost like you feel a constant pain that keeps coming and going, just throbbing. I feel a little better than I did yesterday. I’m just working with the trainers and seeing what the recovery looks like.”

Manager Davey Martinez revealed after the game the MRI results, which showed a strain of the left oblique muscle. There's no firm timetable for his return, but Martinez acknowledged Chaparro won't be ready for Opening Day.

NORTH PORT, Fla. – Major leaguers usually have to learn how to hit the ball the other way. Some never figure it out and develop reputations as dead-pull hitters.

James Wood has already established his ability to crush the ball to the opposite field in a manner few hitters of any age can. Now the Nationals' young star is learning how to pull it, fully completing his offensive game.

And it was all on display the last two days. After launching a first-inning homer to left Thursday against the Rays, Wood pulled a pair of doubles this afternoon during the Nats’ 5-3 exhibition win over the Braves.

“That’s good,” manager Davey Martinez said. “He’s getting ready in time. He’s not really trying to do a whole lot, which is awesome. His hands, he’s staying through the zone a really long time. To see him turn on balls like that, knowing he can do that, it was great.”

Wood’s homer Thursday came on the first pitch he saw from Tampa Bay’s Shane Baz. His first double today came on the first pitch he saw from Atlanta’s Spencer Schwellenbach, and he drove it to deep right-center, the ball caroming off the wall at CoolToday Park.

NORTH PORT, Fla. – Injuries are the last thing any player wants to experience at this stage of spring training, all the more so for any player battling for a spot on the Opening Day roster.

So when Andrés Chaparro had to be scratched from today’s lineup after experiencing some kind of discomfort during batting practice, the competition for the final spot on the Nationals’ bench may have had a wrench thrown into it.

Chaparro was set to bat fifth and start at first base for the Nats against the Braves, an opportunity for him to continue his torrid spring at the plate and further his case for that spot on the Opening Day roster. The 25-year-old is batting a robust .400 (12-for-30) with two doubles, a homer and five RBIs, though he has also run into several outs on the bases, much to the chagrin of the coaching staff.

Juan Yepez, who is also in the mix for that “26th man” job, will now start at first base in Chaparro’s place, with Stone Garrett taking over his spot in the lineup and serving as designated hitter.

Chaparro and Yepez have a similar player profile, with Yepez having an advantage because of his defensive versatility but a disadvantage because of his lower numbers this spring (6-for-27, one double). Also competing for the job are José Tena (who can play third base, shortstop and second base) and Nasim Nuñez (who excels in the field and on the bases and is batting .458 this spring).

The Nationals entered the offseason knowing they needed to acquire a new first baseman. Then they went and essentially acquired two of them over the holidays.

Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Bell aren’t the same kind of player. Lowe is more well rounded, draws more walks and plays better defense. Bell is more of a prototypical, all-or-nothing slugger who can carry a lineup for weeks at a time but is typically a liability in the field.

So, the plan – as best as we can tell at this point – is for Lowe to be the everyday first baseman, with Bell assuming designated hitter duties. Given the strengths and weaknesses of these two, that seems to make the most sense.

What, though, becomes of the other first basemen/DH types already on the Nats roster?

The team had a bunch of them last season, with Joey Gallo, Joey Meneses and Juan Yepez each getting roughly equal playing time at first base (54 games, 50 games, 45 games, respectively) and Andrés Chaparro (12 games) also getting a look down the stretch.

PLAYER REVIEW: ANDRÉS CHAPARRO

Age on Opening Day 2025: 25

How acquired: Traded from Diamondbacks for Dylan Floro, July 2024

MLB service time: 49 days

2024 salary: $740,000