10:43 AM EDT, Fri March 29, 2024
MASN: Mark Zuckerman

Game 1 lineups: Nats at Reds

CINCINNATI – And away we go!Forget about anything that happened last season. Forget about anything that happened over the winter. Forget about anything that happened during spring training. It all made for great conversation and debate, but it doesn’t matter anymore. Starting today, we have actual baseball to watch and evaluate.The 20th season of Washington Nationals baseball begins on the road. It’s actually the first time the Nats have opened on the road since 2018, when rookie manager Davey Martinez debuted with a win in … Cincinnati! This is the eighth road opener in club history,...

MASN: Mark Zuckerman

What we made too big a deal about, and what we glossed over

Spring training is officially over. The Nationals boarded their charter flight in West Palm Beach after Sunday’s game and departed for Washington, ready to get the 2024 season going.There’s still one more exhibition to play (Tuesday’s “Futures Game” against the organization’s prospects) before Thursday’s season opener in Cincinnati, but it’s OK to take a moment today to look back at what transpired over the last six weeks and share some thoughts.As is always the case, we spend a lot of time at spring training obsessing over certain roster spots or job competitions. And by the...

MASN: Mark Zuckerman

Late-night cuts leave Nats with only one more roster decision

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Nationals made four more cuts following tonight’s split-squad, day-night doubleheader, and in the process left themselves with only one more decision to make before their Opening Day roster is set.The club optioned outfielders Alex Call and Jacob Young and catcher Drew Millas to Triple-A Rochester and reassigned reliever Jacob Barnes to minor league camp, leaving only 27 healthy players remaining heading into the final day of spring training.The demotions of Call and Young leave the Nationals with four remaining outfielders, all of whom are expected to make the...

Amazin Avenue

Open thread: Mets vs. Nationals, 3/24/24

Photo by Rich Storry/ Luis Severino makes his final spring training start in split-squad action today. Mets lineup lineup to follow Broadcast info First pitch:TV: WPIXRadio: WCBS 880, Audacy

MASN: Mark Zuckerman

Starting lineups: Nats vs. Mets in Port St. Lucie

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. – The day has come at last. It’s the final day of spring training. Later this evening, the Nationals will board their charter flight and head north to D.C. But first, there’s one last game to play down here.The Nats, who at 15-11-1 already are assured of finishing with a winning Grapefruit League record, head up the road to face the Mets in this afternoon’s finale. They’ll have Patrick Corbin on the mound making his final tune-up start before he takes the mound Saturday in Cincinnati for Game 2 of the regular season.The lineup isn’t quite what we’ll see...

MASN: Mark Zuckerman

Split-squad lineups: Nats vs. Cardinals and Marlins

JUPITER, Fla. – The Nationals weren’t able to play Friday night due to persistent rain across the entire state of Florida. So they’ll try to play two today … even though neither is a makeup game against the Astros! See, the Nats already had a day-night, split-squad doubleheader scheduled. (Such great planning for the second-to-last day of spring training, huh?)It all gets started at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, where half of the team will face the Cardinals and Miles Mikolas for the third time in 12 days. The veteran right-hander didn’t give up much in those previous two matchups,...

MASN: Mark Zuckerman

Spring training off-day Nats Q&A

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Nationals are off today. And when I say off, I mean OFF. There will be no game played. There will be no workouts, individual or group. There will be no minor league camp for the day. If you're in town and try to come to the complex, you won't be able to get in, because nobody will be here.That doesn't mean it's a full day off for your trusty beat reporter, though. We never rest around here, so let's spend a little time this morning getting reacquainted with each other.It's been a fun spring, with a lot of youthful exuberance in this camp. But we're now down to...

The Crawfish Boxes

Spring Training Game(s) Thread. March 18, 2024. 12:05 CT, 5:05 CT

Photo by Scott Audette/MLB Photos via Two games today, Astros @ Miami at 12:05 and Nationals @ Astros at 5:05 (Televised). Here is the lineup for game one: Game 2 Astros lineup. (tentative)

New York Post

SNY announcers stunned by SpaceX rocket launch during Mets’ spring training game

The Mets' spring training game against the Washington Nationals on Friday took a back seat to another event happening in Florida.

Amazin Avenue

Open thread: Mets at Nationals, 3/17/24

Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports This is the road game of the Mets’ split-squad spring training day. Mets lineup DJ Stewart - RF Trayce Thompson - CF Pete Alonso - 1B Brett Baty - 3B Luke Voit - DH Omar Narváez - C Joey Wendle - SS Zack Short - 2B Ben Gamel - LF SP: Tylor Megill Broadcast info First pitch: 1:05 PM EDTRadio: WCBS 880

MASN: Mark Zuckerman

Gore has "weird" start; Rutledge in latest round of cuts

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Spring training pitching lines can be deceptive. What really matters in March: How many runs somebody allowed or how many batters he struck out?MacKenzie Gore and the Nationals were left asking themselves that question today after a Grapefruit League start the left-hander referred to as “a little weird.”What made it weird?“Well,” Gore said, “we struck out 10 and gave up eight runs.”Yeah, that qualifies. Over the course of  4 2/3 innings against the Mets in what wound up a 9-8 victory, Gore experienced the full gamut of results. He opened his afternoon in...

MASN: Mark Zuckerman

Ferrer to open on IL with upper back strain; Lile "grateful" to be fine

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. – Jose A. Ferrer is going to open the season on the injured list with an upper back strain, removing one of the left-handers competing for a spot in the Nationals bullpen with two weeks to go in spring training.Ferrer has a strain of the teres major, a muscle that connects the upper back to the shoulder, and will be shut down three weeks before he’s re-evaluated, according to manager Davey Martinez.The 24-year-old made only three Grapefruit League appearances this spring, two of them during the first week of games, then one more March 8, when he tossed two scoreless...

MASN: Mark Zuckerman

Davies tries to make his case for spot in Nats' rotation

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Zach Davies hasn’t been in this position in a while, pitching in spring training not to get ready for his team but to make his team.Such is life on a minor league contract, and such is the dilemma facing Davies this month as he tries to convince the Nationals to include him on their Opening Day roster.“In years past, having a secured job, the things that run through your mind are you’re still probably trying to work on something,” the 31-year-old right-hander said. “There’s times within a game that’s your focus. And then there’s a couple innings in...

The Crawfish Boxes

Spring Training Game Thread. March 14, 2024, 5:05 CT. Astros @ Nationals

Houston Astros pitcher Luis Contreras (72) delivers a pitch during spring training at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. | Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports Luis Contreras (Yes, he has pitched in the major leagues) goes for the Astros today. The Astros lost to the Mets 6-5 yesterday, but there was plenty of good news. First, Cristian Javier pitched four scoreless innings with four Ks and no walks. If he’s back to 2022 Javier, the Astros are probably on track for an improved record over 2023 in 2024. Jake Meyers was 2-3 and brought his Spring BA to .350. With Meyers, Mauricio...

MASN: Mark Zuckerman

García, Robles get muted vote of confidence from Rizzo

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – With less than two weeks remaining in spring training, the two members of the Nationals’ projected lineup most in danger of losing their jobs got a muted vote of confidence from general manager Mike Rizzo, who nonetheless made it clear he needs to see more improvement from Luis García Jr. and Victor Robles.García and Robles came to camp with an edict from club officials to show long-sought improvement, told they would be pushed by others in search of their starting jobs over the course of the spring. Each has enjoyed some success at the plate – García is...

MASN: Mark Zuckerman

Corbin finds positives and negatives in start; Ward optioned to Triple-A

JUPITER, Fla. – We’ve reached the point of spring training where it’s appropriate to start looking more at results, though perhaps not enough to start reading too much into them.What, then, to make of Patrick Corbin’s start this afternoon during the Nationals’ 11-4 exhibition win over the Cardinals? The left-hander gave up three runs on six hits and two walks, all while throwing a whopping 74 pitches in only 3 2/3 innings. But he also notched six strikeouts, four of those coming on his newly developed cutter.“Obviously, you want good results,” Corbin said. “The first inning,...

MASN: Mark Zuckerman

Young starters, Alu among Nats' first cuts; Hassell getting MRI

JUPITER, Fla. – It took nearly four weeks, but the Nationals finally made their first round of cuts this morning, removing seven players from their spring training roster, the majority of them young starting pitchers who weren’t going to get the innings they needed had they remained in big league camp.Right-handers Joan Adon, Cole Henry and Amos Willingham, left-handers DJ Herz and Mitchell Parker and infielder Jake Alu all were optioned to Triple-A Rochester. Outfielder Travis Blankenhorn, who isn’t on the 40-man roster, was reassigned to minor league camp.Adon, Henry, Herz and Parker...

The Crawfish Boxes

Spring Training Game Thread. March 1, 2024, 12:05 CT. Astros @ Nationals

Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports Framber Valdez gets his first start of the Spring The Astros beat the Mets 2-1 yesterday to bring their record for the Spring to 3-4. The big bats remained silent. Let’s hope they're saving their hits for the regular season. Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, Alex Bregman, Kyle Tucker, and Jeremy Pena together managed only one hit between them, and for the Spring, they have .000, .200, .143, .200, and .000 batting averages respectively. Jose Abreu is a ray of light, hitting .333 for the Spring. Yes, I know it doesn’t mean a lot. Here are...

MASN: Mark Zuckerman

Gore remains sharp, Irvin struggles in relief, Abrams homers

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – MacKenzie Gore isn’t quite established enough to ignore spring training results, but neither is he devoid of any track record and thus feels the need to make a statement when he takes the mound this time of year in Florida.Gore is unquestionably part of the Nationals’ Opening Day rotation, perhaps someday in the near future the guy leading that rotation into a season. So these spring training outings are about two things: building his arm up and emerging healthy.“I feel good, that’s the biggest thing,” the 25-year-old left-hander said this afternoon. “Not...

MASN: Mark Zuckerman

Gallo "not worried at all" about tight quad muscle

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Joey Gallo was adamant: The wrap around his left quadriceps is nothing to get worked up about.“Just a little soreness, a little tightness,” the Nationals slugger said. “If it’s the season, we’re not even talking about it. But obviously in spring training, you’re always just cautionary. I’m not worried at all.”Gallo hasn’t played either of the last two days because of the tight quad muscle. He didn’t participate in team defensive drills this morning, though he did take batting practice and showed no ill effects, launching balls into the...

Over the Monster

OTM Open Thread 3/1-3/3: It is the Weekend

Photo by Megan Briggs/ Opening Day is this month! Happy Friday! Opening Day is later this month. Scott Boras clients remain unsigned blah blah blah. The Red Sox are looking...kinda OK in the extremely limited Spring Training samples. What does that mean for the regular season? Probably nothing. But hey, maybe something. Lucas Giolito will pitch against the Minnesota Twins Friday at 1:05 PM. Brayan Bello and Nick Pivetta will face the Washington Nationals and Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday - both games at 1:05 PM ET. Sunday it’s Red Sox vs Blue Jays at the same 1:05 PM ET...