Lineups: Nats vs. Mets in West Palm Beach on MASN

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – It’s a big day here at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. At least, big by spring training standards. The Nationals are set to hold a 3 p.m. press conference to announce their eight-year, $50 million extension with Keibert Ruiz (which, by the way, also includes club options for both 2031 and 2032). Then they’re set to take the field at 7:05 p.m. to face the Mets, live on MASN.

Ruiz will have the honor of batting cleanup tonight, and he and his teammates will be facing Kodai Senga for the first time. Senga, a 30-year-old right-hander from Japan, signed a five-year, $75 million deal with the Mets this winter and will be slotted into a rotation that includes a couple of future Hall of Famers in Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander. This is only Senga’s second start of the spring; he allowed one run to the Cardinals in two innings on Sunday.

(UPDATE: Well, so much for that. The Mets announced Senga has been scratched from the start due to "discomfort at the base of his right index finger." John Curtiss will now start tonight's game in his place.)

Josiah Gray gets the ball for the Nats for his third start of the spring, his second against the Mets. The right-hander is slated to go four innings.

As stated, you can watch tonight’s game live on MASN, with Bob Carpenter and Dan Kolko on the call. They’ll have interviews with a host of big names (Mike Rizzo, Davey Martinez, Ruiz), plus one very small name (yours truly). Coverage begins at 7 p.m.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. NEW YORK METS
Where: The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches
Gametime: 7:05 p.m. EST
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 980 AM, MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 74 degrees, wind 8 mph in from center field

NATIONALS
RF Lane Thomas
SS CJ Abrams
LF Alex Call
C Keibert Ruiz
DH Luis García
2B Jeter Downs
3B Ildemaro Vargas
1B Matt Adams
CF Erick Mejia

RHP Josiah Gray

METS
CF Tim Locastro
SS Ronny Mauricio
3B Brett Baty
DH Daniel Vogelbach
RF Jaylin Davis
LF DJ Stewart
1B Mark Vientos
C Tomas Nido
2B Jose Peraza

RHP Kodai Senga John Curtiss