Williams reveals probable pitchers for first two games

VIERA, Fla. - Just one more day of practice left before the Mets visit Space Coast Stadium for the Nats' Grapefruit League opener. Nationals manager Matt Williams revealed yesterday that Max Scherzer will take the mound first on Thursday followed by Tanner Roark, each throwing two innings or around 45 pitches.

This morning, we found out the other pitchers who could also pitch against the Mets: right-handers Blake Treinen, Heath Bell, Aaron Barrett, Eric Fornataro and Rafael Martin, and left-hander Xavier Cedeno.

Treinen is seen as a starting pitcher by many in the Nats organization. It's not hard to figure out why after the 26-year-old right-hander posted a 3.00 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 36 innings over eight starts in 2014. Barring injury though, there won't be any room in the loaded Nationals rotation.

"He's trained all offseason as a starter," Williams said of Treinen. "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."

Jordan Zimmermann will get the start for the Nationals on Friday when they travel to Lake Buena Vista, Fla., to face the Braves in the second exhibition game. Tall righty Taylor Jordan will follow Zimmermann on the hill.

Friday's other probable pitchers are right-handers Craig Stammen, Manny Delcarmen, Even Meek and Mitch Lively, and left-handers Matt Grace and Rich Hill.

Williams has singled out Grace a couple of times this spring.

"The reports are his ball moves a lot, good sinker, down in the zone, controls the zone," Williams said.

Grace's career 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 to relief in 2013.

Left-handers hit just .176 off him in 22 games last season with 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.

On Friday, the 26-year-old Grace begins an important exhibition season in an attempt to join a Nats bullpen that might be in need of at least one more southpaw.