Illness delays Zimmerman's spring debut (Nats win 14-8)

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - It looks like today's game will get started as scheduled after all. The forecast hasn't completely cleared up, but it appears to have cleared up enough to allow the Nationals and Astros to get underway on time. Whether it will stay that way long enough to get the full game in remains to be seen.

Even if the rain holds off, we won't be seeing Ryan Zimmerman today. He was held out of the lineup, not because of concern about having him play on a wet field but because he's been sick for several days.

It's the same virus that got Yan Gomes and Spencer Kieboom earlier in the week. Now the Nationals will hope it doesn't get anyone else in the coming days, which is why Davey Martinez told Zimmerman to go home this morning.

"He worked out yesterday, and he felt good," Martinez said. "And throughout the day, he started getting a little worse and worse and worse. And he called last night and said he was sick. He came in to see the doctor, but I sent him home. I'm not going to take chances with him, put him out there and get him one or two at-bats."

With the Nationals traveling 2 1/2 hours Thursday to play the Red Sox, the soonest Zimmerman might now make his spring debut is Friday against the Marlins in nearby Jupiter.

"We'll re-evaluate tomorrow, see where we're at," Martinez said. "We're going to Fort Myers, so I told him he's not going to make that trip. But hopefully he can play the next day."

There's obviously increased attention and scrutiny on Zimmerman's spring training plan because he appeared in only one Grapefruit League game last year and got off to a rough start to the season before then suffering an oblique strain. Martinez outlined a schedule at the start of camp to get Zimmerman many more game reps (specifically at first base) and the veteran said he was on-board with the plan.

Until getting sick, Zimmerman has been participating fully in all drills this spring.

"All his workouts have been good," Martinez said. "He's been running the bases, actually been running the bases on his own quite a bit. He looks good. Now we've just got to get him feeling healthy and get him in there."

Update: The Nationals are off to a good start today. Jeremy Hellickson tossed two quality innings, allowing one opposite-field single and a walk while striking out three consecutive batters at one point. And they've been aggressive at the plate, scoring five early runs off Astros starter Collin McHugh and reliever Chris Devenski. Trea Turner scored the first run via a Matt Adams bloop single to center. Gomes, José Marmolejos, Adrian Sanchez and Adam Eaton then combined to drive in four more runs in the bottom of the second. Eaton was hit by a pitch in the left hand (it appeared) in the bottom of the first, but he has looked fine since, especially on his RBI double the following inning.

Update II: This has not been a fast-paced ballgame, folks. It has taken nearly two hours to play four innings. The good news: The Nats are lighting it up at the plate, adding three more runs in the bottom of the fourth via Eaton's sac fly, Juan Soto's RBI single and Victor Robles' run-scoring groundout. The bad news: Joe Ross really labored in relief of Hellickson. Ross got through the third inning with relative ease. But he couldn't get through the fourth. He allowed two doubles and a walk and saw his pitch count skyrocket to 53 before he was finally pulled with two outs in the inning.

Update III: We're now three hours into this exhibition ballgame, and we've finally reached the seventh-inning stretch. The Nationals lead 14-6. Chuck Taylor and Brandon Snyder have homered for the Nationals. Austin Adams and Jimmy Cordero have combined to give up four runs in the top of the seventh.

Final Update: Right-hander Aaron Barrett gave up two runs prior to getting the final out in the top of the ninth inning. Nats hold on to win 14-8.