Martinez impressed with how well the big four stuck to shutdown plan

Nationals right-hander Max Scherzer looked ready to go with his 48 pitches in his first summer training sim game at Nats Park. Right-hander Stephen Strasburg has his sim game today. Right-hander Aníbal Sánchez threw more than 60 pitches on Thursday. Left-hander Patrick Corbin is expected to throw tomorrow.

The Nationals want to make sure their big four are good to go for the 2020 season, and manager Davey Martinez said the guys came to summer training ready. He knows the starting rotation, which will also include either Erick Fedde or Austin Voth, is the strength of this team.

"We are getting those guys ready and they look good," Martinez said on a Zoom video call. "I mean they look really good. I told them 'You guys really took the protocol seriously and got to work.' They feel strong."

The big four put it all on the line to help the Nats find a way to win the World Series in 2019. They started crucial postseason games and even came out of the bullpen. They worked overtime to get the title secured. One concern coming in to 2020 was that they might be tired after a taxing October. But with three and a half extra months to get ready, the starters all appear to be close to full strength.

"We played so long last year that maybe the time off did help them and they got to regroup and stuff," Martinez said. "We didn't want this much time off, but it might be good. I talked to Stras, he feels great. I talked to Max today and he told me, other than the normal soreness that he typically gets, he feels really good. We will get Corbin out there in a couple of days and see where he's at. Sanchee threw a bullpen today and he's up to 66 pitches already. They are raring to go."

Nationals pitching coach Paul Menhart and Martinez sat down right after spring training was canceled, and along with the other members of the team's medical, strength and coaching personnel devised a plan for the shutdown to make sure the pitchers were still keeping their strength, cardio and baseball-related activities on pace to play when, and if, a season was to occur.

"This is something that we all got together and talked about how to keep these guys ready - from the medical staff, the strength and conditioning staff, to Paul (Menhart) and myself - trying to figure out how to get them ready and keep them throwing," Martinez said. "For the most part, they followed the plan. They were all up to 50, 60 pitches, throwing two bullpens a week. Their strength, like I said, they got tested when they first got here and the medical staff said they were really, really good. We were happy about that."

With 13 days remaining until the opening weekend, Martinez believes his rotation will be ready to take their place for starts every five days, beginning with the Yankees on July 23.

* Not only did the team receive their shiny new World Series rings Thursday, they also had the opening night gold uniforms at their lockers to look at and even try on. Martinez donned his opening night uniform for the video press conference and said he loved the new look. It appears that the gold uniforms will be a new tradition set by Major League Baseball. The defending champions from the previous year will wear alternate gold uniforms to begin the next season.

The Nationals are the first team to get to try the new uniforms out come July 23. The curly W in the cap is sewn in gold thread and the numbers are gold with red and blue trim. The Nationals script across the chest is blue and is outlined in gold thread.

"Obviously, I had to wear it out here because they gave it to me today and I thought, 'Man, that's pretty awesome,' " Martinez said. "I'm going to call Under Armour and to make sure I get some matching gold shoes with it. They did a great job, tremendous job.

"I like this a lot (pointing to the Nationals gold emblem on his left sleeve), and this," he added, pointing to the "World Series Champions" logo on his right sleeve, "a real lot."