Notes on Zimmerman, Strasburg and McKeon (Nats win 5-4)

JUPITER, Fla. - Ryan Zimmerman seems to have weathered the worst of the illness making its way through the Nationals clubhouse, and the first baseman is staying back in camp in West Palm Beach today to go through drills.

Manager Davey Martinez said that if Zimmerman gets through today's action without any issues, he should play Saturday when the Nats host the Twins in Grapefruit League action.

"He's going to go through a workout today and we'll see where he's at," Martinez said. "I told him he's scheduled to play, but I want to make sure he's 100 percent. I don't want him going out there feeling dehydrated. I know he hasn't been eating very well the past couple days, but he wants to go out and participate today and we'll see where he's at."

Whenever Zimmerman plays, he'll be making his first spring game appearance. He was supposed to start Wednesday before being scratched with the bug.

Last year, Zimmerman opted to take most of his preseason work on the back fields and in minor league games, playing in only one Grapefruit League contest and batting only twice.

"I've talked to him today and he wants to play tomorrow," Martinez said of Zimmerman. "I told him, get through your day and then we'll see where you're at."

Zimmerman isn't the only Nationals player struggling with health issues. Infielder Adrian Sanchez was sent home this morning after undergoing a root canal yesterday. Catcher Pedro Severino fouled a ball off his foot yesterday and was walking through the clubhouse this morning with a pronounced limp.

Stephen Strasburg makes his first spring start today, becoming the last of the Nats' presumed rotation members to take a turn.

The delayed debut is by design, Martinez said.

"He likes actually to face a couple live BPs and a couple extra bullpen sessions before he actually goes out in the game," Martinez said. "For him, it's about honing down his mechanics, but that's it."

Martinez said the offseason work Strasburg put in while wintering in Washington, D.C., was evident.

"I look at him and man, his body structure, he worked out unbelievable," the manager said. "He looks really, really good and he feels strong. I'm excited to watch him pitch today."

The Nationals are hoping to get two innings or 35 to 40 pitches out of the right-hander.

Jack McKeon, the former major league manager and executive hired by the Nationals as a senior adviser to general manager Mike Rizzo in January, returned to Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on Friday and was warmly greeted by scouts and reporters in the press box before the game.

A two-time National League Manager of the Year, McKeon led the Marlins to the 2003 World Series championship. He was GM of the Padres when they went to the World Series in 1984.

Patrick Corbin will face the Twins on Saturday and Aníbal Sánchez is scheduled to pitch Sunday against the Astros.

Update: Yan Gomes homered to lead off the second, lifing a Trevor Richards pitch over the wall in left. His first spring homer staked the Nats to a 1-0 lead.

Update II: Another solo home run, this one by Brian Dozier off Hector Noesi, increased the Nationals lead to 2-0 in the fourth.

Update III: In the fifth, Howie Kendrick's RBI single made it 3-0, scoring Victor Robles, who had doubled.

Update IV: Michael A. Taylor and Robles joined the homer barrage with back-to-back solo blasts off Noesi in the sixth for a 5-0 Nationals lead.

Update V: Tanner Rainey yielded a two-run single to Isan Diaz in the bottom of the sixth and the Nats are up 5-2 heading to the seventh.

Update VI: Right-hander Wander Suero entered in to pitch what was an eventful ninth inning. After giving up a leadoff single to Jon Berti, he got the first out via an Isaac Galloway flyout to right field. Then on a pickoff attempt, two throwing errors, one each from Suero and José Marmolejos, led to Berti advancing two bases. The next play also resulted in two errors, a fielding error from third baseman Jacob Wilson and a throwing error by shorstop Luis Garcia, which allowed Berti to score and batter Harold Ramirez to advance to second base. The following batter, Deven Marrero, struck out looking for the second out of the ninth. B.J. Lopez doubled, bringing home Ramirez to make it 5-4.

That's where the scoring would end, as Gabriel Guerrero flew out to right field to end the game. Nats win 5-4.