Lineups: Nats vs. Tigers in West Palm Beach

Lineups: Nats vs. Tigers in West Palm Beach
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - If you needed more evidence that Victor Robles and Eric Thames emerged from Saturday's return from injury feeling strong, here it is: Both are back in the lineup today against the Tigers. Robles will again lead off and serve as designated hitter. Thames, who was the DH in Saturday's home split-squad game, will bat second and play first base. All of this is a good sign that both guys are fully healed and ready for the two-week push to get ready for opening day. Robles...

Thames and Robles don't hold back in return from injuries

Thames and Robles don't hold back in return from injuries
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Davey Martinez had a simple message for Eric Thames today as the veteran first baseman prepared to play for the first time since straining a calf muscle 11 days ago. "Don't go gangbusters. Ease your way back into it," the Nationals manager said. "Don't try to go first to third right now." So what happened when Thames stepped up to bat in the bottom of the first inning against Marlins right-hander José Ureña? Of course he sent a sinking liner into right-center...

Split-squad lineups: Nats vs. Marlins and Mets

Split-squad lineups: Nats vs. Marlins and Mets
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Nationals have their second split-squad day of the spring, and that means everybody's playing but spread out between two towns at the same time. Davey Martinez is staying here in West Palm Beach to watch Joe Ross face the Marlins. He's got Eric Thames (making his return 11 days after suffering a calf strain) leading off and serving as DH. He's got Juan Soto and Howie Kendrick in his lineup as well. Tim Bogar and Chip Hale are making the trip to Port St. Lucie to...

Thames, Robles will return to DH on Saturday (Nats fall 7-3)

Thames, Robles will return to DH on Saturday (Nats fall 7-3)
JUPITER, Fla. - The Nationals will get two big bats back in their lineup Saturday. Eric Thames and Victor Robles each are scheduled to return from minor injuries, each serving as designated hitter for the Nats' split-squad games (home versus the Marlins, away against the Mets), according to manager Davey Martinez. Thames hasn't played since Feb. 25 due to left calf tightness, but he has slowly been ramping up activities in recent days and has been cleared to return to the lineup. The big...

Updates on Eaton, Robles, Thames and Harris (Nats lose 11-0)

Updates on Eaton, Robles, Thames and Harris (Nats lose 11-0)
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Nationals are fielding a lineup loaded with regulars tonight. Well, loaded with healthy regulars. A few guys who normally would be playing remain sidelined with nagging ailments. The list includes Adam Eaton, who departed Tuesday's game with a tight left hamstring. The veteran right fielder apparently didn't think the injury was serious and only came out of the game after mentioning it to teammate Howie Kendrick, who then informed manager Davey Martinez. Martinez...

Scherzer on his outing, Martinez on Eaton and Thames injuries

Scherzer on his outing, Martinez on Eaton and Thames injuries
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - For all his stomping on the mound and cursing when he misses painting the black, Max Scherzer is at heart a student of pitching. There's nothing the right-hander likes more than delving into the game within the game, the subtext of an at-bat that may not be discernable to the naked eye. That's how he approached his 54-pitch outing in the Nationals' 5-3 victory over the Orioles on Tuesday: an opportunity to mesh with catcher Kurt Suzuki on some of the intricacies of...

Martinez on Zimmerman's workload (Nats lose 3-1)

Martinez on Zimmerman's workload (Nats lose 3-1)
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - The calendar has turned to March and Ryan Zimmerman's line on the stat sheet is not full of zeros. Zimmerman made his spring debut Thursday night and played first base again yesterday. Today, he's back in the lineup for his first back-to-back assignments of spring, a steppingstone that didn't bypass manager Davey Martinez like a car ignoring the speed limit on Interstate 95. "I got Zim four at-bats in February," Martinez deadpanned this morning. "We got to look it...

Lineups: Nats vs. Cardinals in Jupiter

Lineups: Nats vs. Cardinals in Jupiter
JUPITER, Fla. - Spring training lineups don't always resemble regular season lineups. And today presents the perfect reminder of that. Eric Thames is leading off for the Nationals against the Cardinals, with Kurt Suzuki batting second. Has Davey Martinez lost his mind? No. This is simply a way to get two veterans two quick at-bats and then let them head home. You won't be seeing this 1-2 combo at any point during the regular season. We'll also see Howie Kendrick batting behind Juan Soto, a...

Baseball America Nats No. 6 prospect: 3B/1B Drew Mendoza

Baseball America Nats No. 6 prospect: 3B/1B Drew Mendoza
First base is a coveted spot in the Nationals organization, especially with Ryan Zimmerman not an everyday player anymore and the club using the likes of veterans Howie Kendrick and Eric Thames at that spot. Former Florida State standout Drew Mendoza has a shot to turn some heads in the near future and become that top candidate for a corner infield spot, similar to the track Carter Kieboom is hoping to attain at third base this season. Baseball America Nats correspondent Lacy Lusk says the Nats...

New-look infield must answer plenty of questions this spring

New-look infield must answer plenty of questions this spring
As spring training fast approaches, it's time to break down the state of the Nationals roster, position by position. The series continues today with the infield ... So much of the Nationals' World Series-winning roster returns intact this spring, but one aspect of the roster has undergone some serious change since we last saw this team take the field. An infield that was among the most productive in the majors is going to look quite different this time around, thanks to one huge departure and...

The ramifications of Zimmerman's new contract

The ramifications of Zimmerman's new contract
If you went to bed early last night, the Nationals and Ryan Zimmerman finally worked out a new deal. Zimmerman will return on a one-year contract that guarantees him $2 million plus the potential to earn another $3 million in incentives, according to two sources familiar with the terms. The deal will become official once he passes a physical. There are plenty of ramifications and follow-ups to this news, so let's run through some of them this morning ... * This deal is a bargain for the Nats....

Better, worse or the same in 2020: position players

Better, worse or the same in 2020: position players
Though there are still a handful of moves that could be made - Hello, Ryan Zimmerman? Hello? Anybody there? - the Nationals have a pretty good idea at this point what their roster will look like when pitchers and catchers report to West Palm Beach in a mere 20 days. And that roster, for the most part, looks a lot like the roster that won the World Series just a few short months ago. The question, though, is whether that roster ultimately will outperform the 2019 version, underperform it or...

Rizzo content with current infield, met with Zimmerman this week

Rizzo content with current infield, met with Zimmerman this week
Though he wouldn't rule out the possibility of acquiring a big-name player like Josh Donaldson, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo insisted today he's more than comfortable with his team's current options at third base. "We don't see it as a hole. We see it as a strength," Rizzo said during a 17-minute session with reporters at Winterfest. "We've got versatility. Of course, you're not going to replace or replicate Anthony Rendon, his numbers on the field, his presence in the...

Joining Nationals' enviable roster was "no-brainer" for Thames

Joining Nationals' enviable roster was "no-brainer" for Thames
There's a recurring theme growing among those who have joined the Nationals this winter. All have played on winning teams before, so obviously they were drawn to sign with the team that just won the World Series. But it goes a step beyond that. The Nationals didn't just win last season. They had fun doing it, and they did it as a unified group. And for these newest members of the roster, that extra dynamic - sometimes rare in professional sports - really sealed the deal. "This team, you...

Looking at potential lineup combinations

Looking at potential lineup combinations
At the end, when they were playing for all the marbles in late October, the Nationals lineup was consistent. Consistently productive. And consistently featuring the same hitters in the same spots in the order. As things stand today, five weeks before pitchers and catchers report to West Palm Beach to begin their title defense, that lineup looks quite different. And if there's one word to describe it in its current form, it might well be: inconsistent. With Anthony Rendon off to Anaheim to play...

Nats find new lefty first baseman in free agent Thames

Nats find new lefty first baseman in free agent Thames
The Nationals have found themselves this year's left-handed first baseman. Eric Thames, who averaged 24 homers and an .848 OPS the last three seasons for the Brewers, has agreed to terms on a contract with the Nats that guarantees $4 million, a source familiar with the with deal confirmed. Thames, who must pass a physical before the deal is official, will earn a $3 million salary this year, with a $1 million buyout of a mutual option for 2021 likely to be enacted after the season. Thus the...

The Thames deal and wondering if Carter may impact Trumbo

The Thames deal and wondering if Carter may impact Trumbo
The Orioles are known to check the Korean Baseball Organization for potential fits on their pitching staff and in their lineup, but they passed on outfielder Eric Thames, who signed a three-year deal with the Brewers. Let's go over this again. Eric Thames received a three-year deal from a major league team that includes an option for a fourth season and reportedly is worth $16 million guaranteed after posting a .250/.296/.431 slash line in 181 career games with the Blue Jays and Mariners. The...

McLouth with a steal, Urrutia with a strikeout (Jones homers, Davis hurting)

McLouth with a steal, Urrutia with a strikeout (Jones homers, Davis hurting)
Orioles left fielder Nate McLouth singled and stole second base tonight. It might not seem like a big deal, but it's noteworthy. McLouth hadn't swiped a base since June 19. He attempted only one since that night, getting thrown out in a June 22 game against Toronto. Pitchers have been quicker to the plate with McLouth on first base, and he's been extremely patient. McLouth scored tonight on Adam Jones' single, and Nick Markakis scored on Chris Davis' single for 2-0 lead. Davis was...

Updates on Dickerson, Johnson, Thames and Davis

Updates on Dickerson, Johnson, Thames and Davis
Team orthopedist Dr. John Wilckens will examine Chris Dickerson's left shoulder later today, but the outfielder isn't expected to need an MRI on Friday. Dickerson is feeling much better and plans to swing a bat. He seems likely to avoid a trip to the disabled list. Steve Johnson (oblique) threw batting practice today in Sarasota. The session went well, which could lead to a simulated game at the Ed Smith Stadium complex. Eric Thames, who's been sidelined with a fractured bone in his left...

Orioles acquire Thames from Mariners

Orioles acquire Thames from Mariners
The Orioles made another minor league trade today, sending infielder Ty Kelly to the Mariners for outfielder Eric Thames. Thames has been optioned to Triple-A Norfolk, but he will report to Sarasota while rehabbing a non-displaced fracture of the second metacarpal of his left hand, suffered when he was spiked in a collision with an infielder on June 15 with Tacoma. He's expected to be cleared for baseball activities within the next 10 days. Thames, 26, has appeared in 181 major league games...