Harris didn't have blood clot, Soto and Castro optimistic (updated)

Despite an initial diagnosis of a blood clot in Will Harris' pitching arm, the Nationals learned tonight a procedure performed on the veteran reliever today found no such evidence, and now they're suddenly hoping to have him back pitching for the team soon.

"Tonight, not only did we win, but we got some really, really good news," manager Davey Martinez said during his Zoom session with reporters following a 7-3 exhibition victory over the Mets. "We're excited about that."

Only seven hours earlier, Martinez had said St. Louis vascular surgeon Robert Thompson had performed a procedure on Harris to remove a small blood clot, but acknowledged the club expected to receive more details later in the day.

"He had a little tiny blood clot removed," the manager said during his pregame Zoom session with reporters. "So they said it went well."

By the end of the night, a somewhat clearer picture of a complicated situation had been painted. Martinez said Thompson performed a venogram (an X-ray test in which contrast dye is injected into a vein to show if blood is flowing properly) on Harris and came to the conclusion the right-hander had neither a blood clot nor the more serious thoracic outlet syndrome.

Harris will now travel to Washington to meet with team doctor Robin West, after which the club will decide whether he can rejoin the club in Florida for the final days of spring training or remain in town to meet them when they arrive Monday night in advance of the season opener.

"Hopefully now when he sees Dr. West and he gets diagnosed again, we can move forward and we can get him back as soon as possible," Martinez said.

This saga began a few weeks ago when Harris reported not feeling well after an appearance in a spring B game and noted he had numbness in his fingers. He was examined by a doctor in West Palm Beach, who diagnosed a blood clot in his pitching arm. He and the club then sought a second opinion from Thompson, a specialist who has treated many professional athletes with similar issues.

It's not clear, then, what exactly caused Harris' numbness, but the Nationals appear to believe it's not something that will prohibit him from attempting to pitch again soon.

Even if he's fully cleared to resume throwing, Harris almost certainly won't be ready to pitch opening night, so the Nats have been preparing to open the season without one of their experienced late-inning relievers. The 36-year-old has been expected to serve, along with Tanner Rainey, as a setup man for left-hander Brad Hand and righty Daniel Hudson.

A consistently effective reliever for the Astros from 2015-19, Harris signed a three-year, $24 million contract with the Nationals in January 2020. He spent two weeks on the injured list early last season with a strained right groin muscle, then returned to make 20 appearances and post a 3.06 ERA despite a high 1.698 WHIP.

"He always tells me: 'Hey, I'm coming back. I'm coming back. I'm coming back to help this team. So I'll be back,'" Martinez said this afternoon, before learning the final prognosis. "And I know that he means that and he will be back. But the biggest thing for these guys that are like that is to stay positive - guys that get hurt like that, because that does help and it helps their morale."

* Neither Juan Soto nor Starlin Castro were in tonight's lineup against the Mets, but the Nationals aren't concerned either will miss opening night after suffering minor ailments in recent days.

Soto, who was removed from Thursday's game after his right calf cramped up during an 11-pitch at-bat in the top of the first, said he's feeling better today and was hoping to play tonight. Martinez decided not to take a chance at this late stage of spring training.

"I really wanted to stay (in the game), because I took a really long at-bat," Soto said. "I think that at-bat is something else. It made me feel, almost in the season, it made me feel ready to go. I really wanted to stay, but they just wanted to cover me, save me for the season and get as much rest as I can for opening day."

Though he has struggled at the plate this spring and has yet to record an extra-base hit or RBI, Soto has been encouraged by the progress he's made with his swing in recent days, culminating with Thursday night's long battle vs. Marlins flamethrower Sixto Sánchez.

"Yesterday was one of the best results I've ever seen," he said. "I took a lot of pitches, I fouled off a lot of balls. And at the end of the day, I took my walk. It was one of the best at-bats I've ever taken in spring training this year. So, yeah, I think I've started seeing the results."

Castro, meanwhile, was set to begin jogging this afternoon to test his left hamstring, which cramped while he was running the bases Tuesday. The veteran infielder was scheduled to see time at third base during the final days of camp as the Nationals decide whether to start him there over the struggling Carter Kieboom, but there may not be enough time to get him back out there again before the team heads north.

Even if that's the case, Martinez said he would be comfortable letting Castro rest all week and still start opening night, if necessary.

"I told him that I'm not opposed, if he's not ready and he feels like he needs extra days, that we wait as long as we can to get him back on the field, which could be opening day," the manager said. "But he's biting at the bit to play now. He loves playing. I just want to make sure, and I tell him every day: 'Hey, make sure you're 100 percent. We've still got time. Just hopefully you're ready by opening day.'"