All position players in Nats camp on time

VIERA, Fla. - It's finally the official reporting date for all Nationals position players, though that deadline didn't mean much to most this spring. Every single player had already arrived by Monday, with only Wilmer Difo remaining among the unseen.

Well, rest easy folks, because Difo is now here. He reported on time, giving the Nats a completely full clubhouse.

We sometimes make too big a deal out of early arrivals, but I do have to say I think it's notable how many regulars arrived not only early to camp, but significantly early to camp. It certainly beats the alternative, with a bunch of guys rolling in right at the last minute.

We're still two days away from the first official full-squad workout. Until then, the position players are holding their own informal workout inside Space Coast Stadium while the pitchers and catchers do their thing on the back fields.

Those pitcher/catcher workouts so far have featured all the usual stuff: After today, each pitcher will have thrown twice off the mound, not to mention participated in every fundamental drill known to man (fielding comebackers, popups, covering first base, pickoff moves, bunting). They'll start to transition into some more advanced stuff in the next few days, including live batting practice (always a favorite spring drill).

Looking at the schedule ahead, it also appears the Nationals will be holding two intrasquad games prior to the start of Grapefruit League play. That would be a new thing, not something we've seen here in the past. It might be a nice way to break up the monotony of camp and bring a little bit of competition and joviality to the proceedings as well.

The news of the day so far: Ryan Zimmerman is about to address reporters for the first time this spring, also the first time since the Al-Jazeera America report that linked him, Ryan Howard and Peyton Manning to PED use. Zimmerman and Howard have since filed a defamation suit against the TV network.

Stay tuned to see what, if anything, he has to say about that this morning ...