Game 141 lineups: Nats vs. Cubs

They just took the official 2018 team photo here at Nationals Park, with players, coaches and club executives all standing out in direct sunlight in the middle of the diamond on a brutally hot day to smile for a few seconds and capture a shot of the team in its entirety. That is, the team in its entirety as it currently exists on September 6. Several players who will have played a key role on this team this season aren't included, because they're no longer part of the team.

That includes Daniel Murphy and Brandon Kintzler, who as luck would have it are in the park today as members of the Cubs. Murphy will be leading off and starting at second base, so if you want to give him ovation before his first at-bat you best be in your seats by 7:05 p.m.

It'll be fascinating to see how Murphy performs this weekend. We all know how he terrorized the Mets in the three years after he departed New York. I think it's safe to say he's going to be plenty motivated to perform well this weekend, though he'll be going up against Stephen Strasburg in tonight's opener and Max Scherzer on Saturday.

Ryan Zimmerman is not in the Nationals lineup tonight, perhaps still feeling the effects of a hard slide into the plate last night. Asked after the game how he emerged from that slide, Zimmerman responded: "Not bad. Not great. But not bad."

CHICAGO CUBS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 7:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB Network (outside market), MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 1500 AM, MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 89 degrees, wind 6 mph out to left field

NATIONALS
RF Adam Eaton
SS Trea Turner
CF Bryce Harper
3B Anthony Rendon
LF Juan Soto
1B Mark Reynolds
2B Wilmer Difo
C Spencer Kieboom
RHP Stephen Strasburg

CUBS
2B Daniel Murphy
3B Javier Báez
1B Anthony Rizzo
RF Ben Zobrist
LF Kris Bryant
CF Albert Almora Jr.
C Willson Contreras
RHP Kyle Hendricks
SS Addison Russell