Adams gets rare start behind plate, Soroka nears end of rehab

Riley Adams knows the drill at this point. With Keibert Ruiz healthy and productive, and with plenty of off-days built into the Nationals schedule throughout April, there simply aren’t going to be many playing opportunities for the team’s backup catcher.

Adams today starts for only the fourth time in 28 games to begin the season. Ruiz has started the other 24, the most games played by any catcher in the majors to date.

If you’re looking for someone to complain about the arrangement, you’re not going to get it.

“There’s no awkwardness whatsoever,” Adams said. “We both have jobs to do. We both want to win games. We both want to get our pitchers through games and put zeros on the scoreboard. To me, it doesn’t matter who’s catching. We’re a collective.”

Adams has been through this for more than three seasons now. From 2022-24, he played between 41-48 games, taking between 130-158 plate appearances.

But it’s gotten to a new extreme this year. Ruiz has started 89 percent of the Nationals’ games. Extrapolated out over a full season, that would equate to 144 games started behind the plate. (He’s never started more than 117.)

Adams does what he can to stay as engaged as possible even when he doesn’t play. In addition to extra pregame work with catching coordinator Henry Blanco, he participates in every pregame meeting with Ruiz and the coaching staff, helping develop the pitching plan for opposing hitters. And as he watches from the dugout, he calls pitches as if he was behind the plate himself, then comparing notes with Ruiz between innings.

“As the game’s going on, you’re kind of going with them,” he said. “Sometimes I like to play a little game in my head, what I’d like to call. Keep your mind thinking about that stuff as much as possible.”

Adams’ offensive production has been minimal so far. He’s 1-for-12 with six strikeouts, which is understandable given his inability to develop the kind of daily timing and rhythm that only comes with regular playing time.

But the team doesn’t view offense as a priority for its No. 2 catcher. It’s primarily about defense, and the Nats have no qualms about the work Adams has done behind the plate. Nor would they hesitate to throw him into the lineup every day if anything happened to Ruiz.

“At any given moment as a catcher, you have to be ready,” manager Davey Martinez said. “He could go from the backup catcher to, if something happens, catching every day for two weeks. He understands that. He’s got no quarrels. I know as a catcher, as any player, you’d like to play a lot more. But he understands his role. …

“We don’t miss anything when he’s back there.”

* Michael Soroka makes his second rehab start today for Double-A Harrisburg, and if all goes well, the right-hander could rejoin the Nationals rotation within the week.

Soroka, who has been on the 15-day injured list since suffering a biceps strain during his March 31 season debut, is scheduled to go five innings and 75-80 pitches today for Harrisburg after throwing 46 pitches over 2 2/3 innings Tuesday for the Senators.

If everything goes well, could Soroka be ready to come off the IL and make his next start for the Nats?

“It could be,” Martinez said, before adding: “But we’ll have a conversation after he’s done.”