Williams on rotation following rainout, update on tickets for Aug. 4 makeup

Nationals manager Matt Williams said right-hander Doug Fister would be pushed back one day to start Wednesday at Baltimore, following Tuesday's rainout in D.C.

Williams also laid out the pitching probables for the remaining games before the All-Star break.

"So Doug will go tomorrow," Williams said. "And then we will go Gio (Gonzalez), Zimm (Ryan Zimmerman) and Stras (Stephen Strasburg), and Tanner (Roark) will pitch the last game before the break in Philly. (Roark) will be available out of the bullpen for the next couple of days. On a short leash, but he will be available."

Williams said Fister was fine with being pushed back one day and was eager to find out the plan as soon as Tuesday's game was called following a rain delay of 2 hours, 30 minutes.

"He was the first one in the office, (asking), 'What's the plan?' " Williams said. "So he's ready to go for tomorrow.

Williams went over the decision-making process that resulted in Roark being skipped in the rotation after the rainout.

"What we face before the break and with the break, what we have after," Williams said. "If, in fact, Tanner would take his regular turn, it would be a number of days in between starts for him anyway. So the availability that we have with him out of the bullpen the next couple of days and keeping the other guys on regular rest dictated the decision. He'll be ready to go on Sunday."

Williams said this new schedule should not affect Zimmermann's availability to pitch in the All-Star game Tuesday in Minneapolis. Zimmermann is scheduled for Friday night at Philadelphia.

A day-night, two-city doubleheader starting in Washington and moving to Baltimore was never considered, Williams said.

"Didn't the Mets and Yankees do it at one point?" Williams said. "I would imagine that it was about the same amount of time to get across New York City that it would take for us to get to Baltimore. We have a mutual off-day on the 4th of August. We will determine what time that game is. No, We didn't think about that.

Williams also said the Nats will decide who will be the designated hitter for Wednesday night's game at Camden yards on the bus ride to Baltimore.

Rainout ticket info: Fans with tickets to tonight's postponed game may use their original tickets for the rescheduled game on Aug. 4. Those unable to attend the game on Aug. 4 can exchange their tickets for any game during the 2014 regular season. Exchanged tickets will be issued from available inventory in the closest pricing category of equal or lesser value to the original seats. (There are no refunds; all postponed game exchanges are subject to availability and exclude any potential tie-breaker or postseason games).

Season plan holders whose plan includes seats for tonight's postponed game will have their card automatically activated for the Aug. 4 contest. Season plan holders who wish to transfer or forward seats for this make-up game should log in to nationals.com/access to view their seats.

In the event that a seat for tonight's game was forwarded from a season plan holder card to a print-at-home ticket, the print-at-home barcode will be active for the rescheduled game and will not return to the card; these fans should retain their print-at-home tickets from tonight's postponed game to gain entrance to the contest on Aug. 4.

For more information on exchanging tickets purchased through nationals.com or the Nationals telephone charge line, please call 888-632-NATS(6287). On gamedays, the Nationals Park box office is open Monday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. until 30 minutes after the end of the game, and Sunday from 9 a.m. until 30 minutes after the end of the game. Box office hours on non-gamedays are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.