Nats still have several issues to resolve before camp breaks

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Only 12 days from now, the Nationals will pack up and head north for good, officially set to begin their title defense. Time flies when you're having fun, huh?

Most of the folks down here can't wait. They're itching to get this thing started. Manager Davey Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo might be a little less eager to break camp, at least until they're as confident as they can be this roster is ready to take on the rest of the National League.

It's been a pretty quiet spring, lacking in drama or major injuries. But that doesn't mean there aren't a few concerns. As the Nats return to work this morning following their final off-day of camp, let's take a look at the most pressing issues still facing the team entering the home stretch of spring training ...

* Who's on third?
It was the No. 1 storyline entering camp, and it remains the No. 1 storyline with two weeks to go. The job has always been Carter Kieboom's to lose. The question is whether he's losing it.

The 22-year-old rookie is trying to learn third base on the fly, and it's safe to say he looks like a guy trying to learn third base on the fly. At times, he seems to be making progress. Other times, he looks fundamentally flawed, his footwork and mechanics not at all smooth, the way they would be for a career third baseman.

Club officials are less concerned about Kieboom's bat, but it should be noted he hasn't excelled at the plate this spring, either. He did go 2-for-3 with an RBI double off the wall Sunday, but that only raised his spring totals to 6-for-24 with six walks and six strikeouts.

The Nationals will continue to give Kieboom as much playing time as they can these next two weeks. But at some point, they're going to have to make the decision: Is he ready to be the opening day third baseman or not?

* Who's batting third?
Martinez has had only a couple of opportunities so far to play most of his lineup regulars together, so he hasn't had much opportunity to really see what different lineup combos look like. That should start to change now, though, with the regulars starting more regularly over this final stretch of camp.

The biggest question all along has been who replaces Anthony Rendon as the No. 3 hitter. The answer: We still don't really know. Martinez tried out Trea Turner for one game, but he hasn't used him there again, in part because Victor Robles was out with a side muscle strain and Turner was needed back in the leadoff spot. He might get another look or two before camp ends, but Martinez seems to be backing off this look for now.

The more likely choice appears to be Starlin Castro, who Martinez has praised for weeks as a professional hitter and a good bat to have behind Turner and Adam Eaton and ahead of Juan Soto. It should be noted, however, that Castro hasn't produced at all this spring so far; he's a measly 1-for-20 with three walks and six strikeouts.

* Who's the No. 5 starter?
This competition has played out pretty much how most expected it would at the start of camp. Based on past performance and contract statuses, Joe Ross entered the spring as the frontrunner for the final spot in the rotation, with Austin Voth likely destined for the bullpen and Erick Fedde for the minors. Nothing over the last month has really changed that viewpoint.

Ross looked really sharp in his first two starts, though he labored a bit in his most recent outing. Voth was solid his first couple times out, then pitched very well against the Mets over the weekend. Fedde has flashed glimpses of his potential, as always.

Martinez isn't going to publicly declare anything until the end of camp (or maybe not even until after the season opens, since two guys could pitch out of the bullpen before a No. 5 starter is needed for the first time). But barring a real change of events, the most likely scenario entering camp looks like it will come to fruition.

* Are Eaton and Harris going to be ready?
The Nationals have avoided major injuries so far this spring, but they haven't avoided injuries altogether. Robles and Eric Thames (calf) each got hurt in the first week of Grapefruit League play and missed roughly 10 days. Both guys returned over the weekend, though, and looked good enough to play back-to-back days.

Two others are currently not playing in games, though: Eaton and Will Harris. Eaton tweaked his hamstring seven days ago and hasn't returned to the field for any baseball activities yet. Martinez says he won't be concerned unless the veteran outfielder isn't back playing in games by the end of this week. Eaton will need to make some progress to make that happen, though.

Harris, meanwhile, has yet to pitch in a game due to an abdominal strain. The 35-year-old reliever has been throwing off the bullpen mound for a good week now, so it would seem like he should be close to making his game debut. But until he does, his status for opening day remains something of a question.