NLCS Game 1 lineups: Nats at Cardinals (Hudson on leave)

ST. LOUIS - It's 46 degrees. The wind chill is 39. It's not going to be pleasant at all. But none of that matters, because there's a ballgame tonight and the Nationals are playing in it.

The Nats' first National League Championship Series gamesis going to present some challenges, and we're not just talking about the weather at Busch Stadium. The lineup and roster are missing three key players: Daniel Hudson, Kurt Suzuki and Victor Robles.

Hudson, who flew from Los Angeles to Phoenix early Thursday morning to be with his wife as she gave birth to the couple's third child, has been placed on paternity leave and will not be here tonight for Game 1. Major League Baseball rules state that he can miss anywhere from one to three days, after which he'll rejoin the roster and Wander Suero will be removed. Needless to say, the Nationals bullpen will miss the closer for however long he's out. One more change to the bullpen: Hunter Strickland is out and Roenis Elías has been added.

Suzuki and Robles, meanwhile, are on the active roster but not in tonight's lineup. We'll get an update soon on both, but it's Yan Gomes behind the plate and Michael A. Taylor in center field.

NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES - GAME 1
WASHINGTON NATIONALS at ST. LOUIS CARDINALS
Where: Busch Stadium
Gametime: 8:08 p.m. EDT
TV: TBS, TBS.com
Radio: 106.7 FM, 1500 AM, MLB.com
Weather: Clear, 46 degrees, wind 8 mph in from left field

NATIONALS
SS Trea Turner
RF Adam Eaton
3B Anthony Rendon
LF Juan Soto
2B Howie Kendrick
1B Ryan Zimmerman
CF Michael A. Taylor
C Yan Gomes
RHP Aníbal Sánchez

CARDINALS
CF Dexter Fowler
2B Kolten Wong
1B Paul Goldschmidt
LF Marcell Ozuna
C Yadier Molina
3B Matt Carpenter
RF Tommy Edman
SS Paul DeJong
RHP Miles Mikolas