Game 2 lineups: Nats vs. Yankees

A lot has happened over the last 72 hours, only some of it having to do with actual baseball. Hopefully, though, baseball takes center stage this evening and remains there for the foreseeable future.

If nothing else, the Nationals would love to be able to play a full nine innings for the first time since October. The good news: Tonight's forecast looks much better. There's still a slight chance of storms, but nothing like we saw earlier in the week.

Stephen Strasburg was supposed to make his season debut, but the ace was scratched this afternoon due to what he described as a nerve impingement in his right wrist. So it's Erick Fedde making an emergency start against a daunting Yankees lineup. Fedde was supposed to be the long man in the bullpen, and he was stretched out a bit during the brief summer camp and exhibition season. But this is quite an assignment for the right-hander, and even in a best-case scenario, Davey Martinez is going to need to get more than just a couple quality innings out of the bullpen tonight.

The Nationals will be going up against left-hander James Paxton, and their lineup will look different from the one that went against Gerrit Cole on opening night. Carter Kieboom (dealing with a groin issue that Martinez said affects him in the field but not at the plate or on the bases) will be the DH, with Asdrúbal Cabrera again at third base. Michael A. Taylor will start in Juan Soto's place in left field. And Howie Kendrick will start at first base, with left-handed Eric Thames available off the bench for a late-game matchup.

NEW YORK YANKEES at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 7:15 p.m. EDT
TV: FOX, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Mostly cloudy, 87 degrees, wind 6 mph out to left field

NATIONALS
SS Trea Turner
RF Adam Eaton
2B Starlin Castro
1B Howie Kendrick
3B Asdrúbal Cabrera
C Kurt Suzuki
DH Carter Kieboom
CF Victor Robles
LF Michael A. Taylor

RHP Erick Fedde

YANKEES
2B DJ LeMahieu
RF Aaron Judge
SS Gleyber Torres
DH Giancarlo Stanton
CF Aaron Hicks
1B Luke Voit
C Gary Sánchez
3B Gio Urshela
LF Brett Gardner

LHP James Paxton