Nationals let game, series slip away late (updated)

Nationals let game, series slip away late (updated)
In this shortened, 60-game season, the outcome of any tight ballgame is going to be magnified, all the more so when the lead flips late. Under normal circumstances, the Nationals might not feel terrible about a 3-2 loss to the Yankees in a well played game between two powerhouse clubs that could've gone either way. But these are not normal circumstances. Every win is precious, especially those that were right there for the taking. Despite getting a dominant start from Patrick Corbin in his...

Nats announce 2020 opening day 30-man roster

Nats announce 2020 opening day 30-man roster
The Nationals have announced their 30-man opening day roster for the 2020 regular season, which was overshadowed by the news that outfielder Juan Soto has tested positive for COVID-19 and is on the injured list to begin the season. Soto is not currently showing any symptoms. General manager Mike Rizzo confirmed that Soto is "asymptomatic." Austin Voth has been named the fifth starter to begin the season, while Erick Fedde will pitch out of the bullpen. "Austin Voth will definitely be our...

Ready or not, exhibition season is over for Nationals

Ready or not, exhibition season is over for Nationals
Are the Nationals ready for what awaits them Thursday night, when the atmosphere inside Nationals Park will be no different than it was for tonight's exhibition finale - a rain-shortened, 6-4 victory over the Orioles - but the stakes will be ramped up by a factor of 10? It's impossible to know at this point, but here's what we do know after three exhibition games played in empty ballparks: * Many pitchers' velocity is down, some to concerning levels. * Some hitters are locked in despite the...

Nats make their own intensity during quiet intrasquad game

Nats make their own intensity during quiet intrasquad game
They wore jerseys with names and numbers on them for the first time in four months, one team in red tops and gray pants, the other in all white. They played music between innings from a large speaker near the dugout. They sent two big league starters to the mound for this five-inning intrasquad matchup, but didn't have enough available position players to fill both lineups after one had to be scratched due to a "contact lens issue." So they were forced to use a minor league coach as the...

Thames working hard on his defense at first base

Thames working hard on his defense at first base
Eric Thames has been playing first base almost exclusively in every Nationals simulated game this week. Before and after the simulated games, Thames is taking ground balls at first base, focusing on getting better on defense. Many believe Thames will be employed by Nationals manager Davey Martinez as the team's designated hitter, but the ultimate Nats lineup for 2020 would be having Thames and Howie Kendrick in the starting nine at the same time, with one at first base and one as the...

Nats preparing for opener with or without missing regulars

Nats preparing for opener with or without missing regulars
As each day passes with no change in the status of several prominent Nationals players who have not yet been cleared to participate in summer training, the club moves a step closer to confronting a dilemma that may pale in comparison to matters of greater significance in the world right now but does matter to the defending World Series champs. What happens if Juan Soto, Victor Robles and Howie Kendrick aren't ready for opening night? It's a delicate subject, because the health of those three...

Corbin pitches well in simulated game; protocols annoy Thames

Corbin pitches well in simulated game; protocols annoy Thames
The Nationals extended Saturday's sim game into the fifth inning, one inning more than they played on Friday. Left-hander Patrick Corbin was the featured starter, allowing one run over three innings. Innings were stopped when he reached 13-14 pitches. "Pat threw the ball well. We wanted to keep him under 40 pitches, he threw 43, but he said he felt good," said Nationals manager Davey Martinez during a Zoom video call. "So, we will go from there. The biggest thing was get them three ups...

Eaton on playing in empty stadiums: "We are nothing without our fans"

Eaton on playing in empty stadiums: "We are nothing without our fans"
In a world fighting through the coronavirus pandemic, baseball will begin the season with no fans in the stands. So how important is crowd noise to the players and to the coaches? Will there be an advantage or disadvantage in hearing what everyone is saying, having it echo throughout the field and the park? Nationals manager Davey Martinez understands it is a unique situation. The club had hoped to celebrate their World Series title with an opening day banner-raising in front of their adoring...

Scherzer grunts his way through three innings in Nats' first sim game

Scherzer grunts his way through three innings in Nats' first sim game
The Nationals took their first big step back to live baseball today with an intrasquad game in the early afternoon at Nats Park. The highlight was watching three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer, in his home white uniform with red numerals and blue trim, on the bump grunting his way through each pitch for three innings, firing 48 pitches. "He looked good," said Nationals manager Davey Martinez on a Zoom video call. "He threw 48 pitches. We wanted to keep him right at 50, three full...

Martinez going with a five-man rotation to begin shortened season

Martinez going with a five-man rotation to begin shortened season
The Nationals enter day two of summer training at Nats Park with the schedule spread out over 11 hours so the players and coaches are never in big groups. General manager Mike Rizzo said his pitchers hit the ground running on Friday and returned looking like they had taken advantage of the three-and-a-half-month pause due to the coronavirus shutdown, especially Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg and Patrick Corbin. "The important thing is we came into spring training 2.0 in good shape," Rizzo...

With Thames on roster, Nats well-positioned for everyday DH role

With Thames on roster, Nats well-positioned for everyday DH role
Major League Baseball has announced that the abbreviated season tentatively set to begin on or around July 23 will have a few changes to rules many fans have gotten accustomed to in the National League. The main difference between the American League and the NL is the designated hitter. During the proposed 60-game season, both leagues will employ the DH instead of the pitcher batting for NL teams. This puts the AL at a distinct advantage in this shortened season, because even though the NL will...

60-game season might be perfect equalizer for Kieboom

60-game season might be perfect equalizer for Kieboom
The decision to play 60 games was a hot topic the past few weeks between Major League Baseball and the players' union. The number was pretty much forced to be around 50 or 60 games because the calendar had already reached late June and the previous official schedule had teams finishing on Sept. 27. The biggest question in the Nats lineup for 2020 was finding a replacement for star third baseman Anthony Rendon, who signed a lucrative offseason free agent deal to join the Angels. The Nats' top...

Nationals again look to build depth through draft

Nationals again look to build depth through draft
Sean Doolittle, Adam Eaton and Yan Gomes. All three players are prime examples of where the Nationals needed top-flight major league talent to compete for a title, but did not necessarily have that guy in their system at the time. All three made significant contributions on their road to winning the 2019 World Series. In the middle of 2019, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo brought in relievers Roenis Elías and Hunter Strickland through trade. Rizzo sent minor league left-handers Taylor...

Wondering how the Nats' season might have been playing out

Wondering how the Nats' season might have been playing out
The Nationals are wrapping up a homestand this afternoon, with the fourth and final game of their series against the Mets on tap, a marquee pitching matchup between Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom set for this warm afternoon on South Capitol Street. This is an important stretch of the season to date for the Nats, who through 64 games find themselves in the driver's seat of a competitive race in the National League East. They're in first place at 39-25, with the Braves trying to catch them at...

Thames embraced Korean culture, food and how game was played

Thames embraced Korean culture, food and how game was played
Nationals first baseman Eric Thames did not play Major League Baseball from 2013 to 2016. In 2013, he worked his way through the minor leagues and played in the Venezuelan Winter League. Then, from 2014 to 2016, he took a chance and accepted a contract to play in the Korea Baseball Organization for the NC Dinos. The move paid off. Thames rediscovered his game with the Dinos, crushing 124 homers with 382 RBIs in 390 games. With the KBO games being televised for audiences in the United States,...

As KBO season begins, Thames optimistic for MLB's chances

As KBO season begins, Thames optimistic for MLB's chances
Eric Thames, like so many other baseball players, media members and fans, turned on his television late Monday night to watch a real, live ballgame between two professional teams. And like so many others who tuned in, Thames was mortified by the sight of a tarp covering the infield at Daegu Samsung Lions Park. "Initially I was angry, because it was a rain delay!" the Nationals slugger said with a laugh. "I turned it on and was like, some baseball finally ... and I turn it on and it's a rain...

Thames staying in shape, rekindling hobby during shutdown

Thames staying in shape, rekindling hobby during shutdown
New Nationals backup first baseman Eric Thames has been taking care of himself, working out and staying safe at his home in Las Vegas since spring training was shut down in mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic. The 33-year-old slugger has had the Nats coaching, training, and strength and conditioning staffs check in to see how he was coming along over the past seven weeks. "In terms of the coaching, everybody is waiting to see what's going to happen once they announce the date (for...

Carpenter safe and sound, optimistic baseball will return in 2020

Carpenter safe and sound, optimistic baseball will return in 2020
MASN broadcaster Bob Carpenter is back in Oklahoma with his family and is safe and healthy as the coronavirus pandemic unfolds across the globe. Like everyone else, Carpenter is waiting for the baseball season to get started. This will be his 15th season behind the mic for MASN as the television play-by-play announcer for the Nationals. Carpenter returned to Oklahoma on March 12 and has been able to enjoy time with his wife, Debbie, and their kids. I caught him running errands as they worked on...

Nats have solutions all over lineup to replace Rendon

Nats have solutions all over lineup to replace Rendon
The Nationals will need to replace the bat of third baseman Anthony Rendon in 2020. Rendon was able to come through in the clutch for the Nats time and time again, especially in the postseason, and potential third base replacement Carter Kieboom is not expected to have to shoulder the responsibility for that run production all by himself. So who can help in the Nats lineup? Looking around the clubhouse, could Trea Turner, Victor Robles, Juan Soto, Eric Thames, Starlin Castro and others pick up...

State of the Nats roster: Infield

State of the Nats roster: Infield
We begin today a periodic look at the state of the Nationals roster at the point spring training was suspended and project how things may look whenever baseball is played again. Up first is the infield ... No aspect of the Nationals roster underwent as much change last winter as the infield. There was only one major departure (Anthony Rendon) but Matt Adams and Brian Dozier also left as free agents, leaving general manager Mike Rizzo with a couple of different paths in an attempt to make up for...