Williams on Span and Werth's recoveries, Treinen as a starter and apple turnovers

VIERA, Fla. - Nationals manager Matt Williams would likely be thrilled if center fielder Denard Span could replicate his 2014 season. Span batted .302 with 39 doubles and 31 stolen bases, and his 184 hits tied Philadelphia's Ben Revere for most in the National League. The hit total was a career high for Span, while his batting average was the second-best mark of his seven years in the majors.

Span, who arrived at Space Coast Stadium for the spring training this morning, underwent surgery in early December to repair a nagging sports hernia. This afternoon, Williams said Span is one of three players on the major league roster that will be limited at the start of spring training.

"He's doing everything," Williams said. "It's not a game speed - nobody really is right now. We'll monitor. He's in constant contact with me, our coaching staff, our training staff, to let us know how he's feeling. We're bothering him at the same time, asking him how he's feeling. But that's a good thing. He's a guy that, in spring training, likes a lot of at-bats, so we have to balance the two things with regard to making sure his legs are good and we don't have any issues with the surgery and (that) he gets plenty of at-bats. We'll try to do that. That's kind of a challenge as we look at it right now."

Two weeks ago, Span gave an update on his progress since surgery during an interview on the MLB Network.

"From talking with our training staff, they say they're going to be a little smart," Span said. "You know, the last month and a half, I've been pushing myself as far as workouts and swinging and getting my fly balls and my ground balls just to prepare myself for spring training."

Span, who turns 31 on Feb. 27, was the catalyst for the Nats offense in the leadoff spot last season. He's also committed just a total of four errors in the past two seasons. High expectations surround this Nats team but also Span, who enters the final year of his contract with the ballclub.

"I think he's valuable in every aspect of the game, Williams said. "He's one of those guys who makes our team go. Gold Glove-caliber center fielder who throws well, who understands how to run the bases, who steals bases. Last year was a fantastic season, offensively and defensively. And he's a leader for us. He works every day, he plays every day. Certainly makes it really comfortable for our pitching staff to go ahead and challenge a guy and know that it will be caught if it's hit out there. He's a gamer, he's a baseball player."

Outfielders Jayson Werth and Nate McLouth are the other two players Williams mentioned who will be limited at the start of spring training.

"Those guys are a little slower in our progression because they're coming off surgery," said Williams.

Both are coming off shoulder surgeries. McLouth had a torn labrum in his right shoulder repaired in August, while Werth underwent arthroscopic surgery on the AC joint in his right shoulder on Jan. 9.

The prognosis for the 35-year-old Werth's recovery time is two to three months, leaving his availability to play left field on opening day in doubt. But Nats general manager Mike Rizzo told us yesterday there's still time for Werth to be ready for the Mets on April 6.

McLouth is looking to redeem himself after a tough first year with the Nationals in 2014. He managed just a .173 batting average with one home run and seven RBIs in 79 games before the shoulder injury ended his season prematurely. He has one year remaining at $5 million with a $6.5 million club option or $750,000 buyout for 2016 on a contract he earned after a productive 2013 season with the Orioles. The 33-year-old hit .258 with 12 home runs and 25 RBIs in 146 games that year.

While the Nationals hope for swift recoveries from their trio of rehabbing outfielders, they've decided to stretch right-hander Blake Treinen out as a starter in spring training.

Treinen is seen as a starting pitcher by many in the organization. It's not hard to figure out why after the 26-year-old posted a 3.00 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 36 innings over eight starts in 2014. Unless injuries happen, there won't be any room in the Nats' star-studded rotation this year. However, Williams plans to give Treinen opportunities to showcase his high-90s fastball to hitters early in games.

"He's trained all offseason as a starter," said Williams. "He's put himself in that position to go, certainly multiple innings, even though our starters will only go a couple of innings at first. We'll see how it all pans out over the course of spring. But he has experience coming in for an inning, he's got experience going multiple innings and starting. That's no different - you don't prepare any differently necessarily because he may be asked to do multiple things. The best-case scenario for him is to train as a starter."

During the second day of workouts for pitchers and catchers, lefty Matt Grace caught Williams' eye. The manager singled out the 26-year-old when asked about the morning bullpen sessions, which included 15 pitchers throwing for eight minutes apiece.

"I was interested to see Matt Grace," said Williams. "The reports on him are his ball moves a lot, good sinker, down in the zone, controls the zone. It's only the first time out, but got a chance to see him."

Grace's career in the organization began as a starter after the Nationals selected him in the eighth round of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft. He struggled in that role for three seasons before the Nationals decided to transition him into a reliever in 2013.

Left-handers hit just .176 off him in 22 games last season in Double-A Harrisburg and an even worse .113 after he ascended to Triple-A Syracuse for the final 28 games. He pitched to a combined ERA of 1.17 in 77 innings across both stops last year.

It's certainly an important spring for Grace in an attempt to join a Nats bullpen that might be in need of at least one more southpaw.

Williams is taking advantage of the time in spring training to get together with his coaches for some rest and relaxation before the grueling marathon of a season that he hopes lasts even a month longer this year.

"We plan on having some more coaches' outings where we can relax a little bit," said Williams. "Coaches never get a chance to relax during the spring. So we've got some fishing spots picked out we'll be able to get to after the fact, had a barbecue last night, so ... now that we know each other, (we) get a chance to enjoy each other's company a little more. That grind starts at 6 a.m., 5 a.m. every morning. Again, but there's time we can sit and make sure that we get a chance to enjoy each other's company, too. Last night we barbecued on the beach, it was kind of cool.

And then Williams cruelly went over last night's menu as hungry reporters drooled.

"We had ribs, pork tenderloin and corn and apple turnover dessert. It was nice. It was good. I got the invite, it was kind of cool, somebody invited me it was good. That type of stuff. We've been fishing already, we'll continue to do that type of stuff. But none of that takes away from 5 a.m. 'til we're done for that particular day."

Who's the best angler?

"It depends on where we're at, see? It depends on what hole we're fishing in, because if there's lots of fish, everybody claims they're a good fisherman," Williams said.