Game 56 lineups: Nats at Phillies

Game 56 lineups: Nats at Phillies
We've been wondering for days now who would be starting the Nationals' series finale in Philadelphia, taking Stephen Strasburg's spot in the rotation. Well, we finally have our answer. Today's starter will be ... Austin Voth. Manager Davey Martinez came to that decision based on the fact Voth has been a starter his whole career up until this season, and he's had four days off since his last appearance (50 pitches in relief of Strasburg). It's certainly the most logical choice among the...

Who's going to start for the Nationals today?

Who's going to start for the Nationals today?
Who's the Nationals' starting pitcher today? This wouldn't normally be a question without a definitive answer hours before first pitch, but it is the case for today's series finale in Philadelphia. That's because the Nats are choosing to go with a bullpen game this afternoon at Citizens Bank Park. Not necessarily because they want to, but because they believe it's their best option at this point. This would've been Stephen Strasburg's turn to pitch, but the right-hander is back on the...

Scherzer's start may have made Nats' Sunday starter plan clearer

Scherzer's start may have made Nats' Sunday starter plan clearer
Every team is bound to run into this conundrum over the course of a 162-game season: The need for a replacement starting pitcher. With off-days, rainouts and injuries - all while dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic this season and last - it happens more often than managers would like. But that comes with the job. Nationals manager Davey Martinez has been dealing with this issue for the better part of the last week, trying to figure out a starter for Sunday's series finale against the Phillies...

Strasburg's latest ailment has ripple effect on entire staff

Strasburg's latest ailment has ripple effect on entire staff
For all the positive things that happened Tuesday night during the Nationals' 11-6 win in Atlanta, the departure of Stephen Strasburg in the bottom of the second with yet another physical ailment was by far the most significant development of the evening. And it's not simply because of what this means for Strasburg, who reported tightness in his right trapezius muscle and will undergo an MRI this morning, according to manager Davey Martinez. This also has a domino effect on several other...

Strasburg exits early, Nats pick him up with 11-6 win (updated)

Strasburg exits early, Nats pick him up with 11-6 win (updated)
On a night when Stephen Strasburg once again looked off and was pulled in the second inning - officially due to a tight trapezius muscle in his upper right back that will require an MRI in the morning - the Nationals found themselves faced with a dilemma. Having already lost five straight with a lineup that has turned the act of driving in a run into the most daunting task in the world, they could've packed their proverbial bags and departed with heads hung low. Or they could brush off...

Back of bullpen secures victory of suspended game (updated)

Back of bullpen secures victory of suspended game (updated)
With five innings on tap this afternoon to complete the game that only lasted four innings Wednesday night before a storm barreled through town, then a seven-inning game still to come later tonight as part of this pseudo-doubleheader, Nationals manager Davey Martinez had to concoct a pitching plan that would give his club the best chance to win both games. And when the Nats added to the three-run lead they already held when Wednesday's game was suspended, the path should've been simple for...

Hand is unsteady again, Nats lose late to Yanks again (updated)

Hand is unsteady again, Nats lose late to Yanks again (updated)
Davey Martinez's day began with a follow-up question about his decision Saturday to use Brad Hand in the bottom of the ninth against the Yankees' big right-handed bats. The Nationals manager explained why he believed his left-handed closer was his best option there, and would again be his best option with a game on the line, given his success against hitters from both sides of the plate. "Brad has no issues against right-handers or left-handers," Martinez said during his pregame Zoom...

While lineup struggles, Nats pitching staff is living up to billing

While lineup struggles, Nats pitching staff is living up to billing
The Nationals were just swept by the Braves in large part because of their lack of offensive production, especially in key moments late in games. On the flip side, though, they were in a position to have a chance to rally late because of their pitching staff, which is starting to perform like it was supposed to all along. The Nats sport a 4.06 ERA overall through 27 games, which ranks 17th in the majors. Nothing to get too excited about. Except the staff is trending in the right direction,...

Nats face tough decisions after learning Fedde is out of options

Nats face tough decisions after learning Fedde is out of options
Davey Martinez's message to the three pitchers competing for the No. 5 starter's job this spring has been consistent throughout. "Regardless of who's going to start or what, they'll have an opportunity to pitch," the Nationals manager repeated Tuesday during a Zoom session with reporters. "Like I've said before, we're gonna need all these guys across the course of the year." Indeed, the Nats know they'll need far more than five starters in a 162-game season. And that's why even as...

After solid start, Nats must decide where Voth fits in

After solid start, Nats must decide where Voth fits in
Nothing is official yet, of course, and there's still time for events to change, but at the moment it doesn't appear Austin Voth will be in the Nationals season-opening rotation. With Joe Ross looking healthy and comfortable pitching again after opting out of the 2020 campaign, the one job up for grabs this spring is close to being locked up. What, then, is to become of Voth? That's a question club officials must answer in the next week before camp ends and the team heads north. If they want...

Lineups: Nats vs. Marlins in West Palm Beach

Lineups: Nats vs. Marlins in West Palm Beach
With only 10 days left in spring training, now is the time to try anything that hasn't been tried yet, just to get one last look at someone in some situation before the regulars take over full-time during the final week of camp. For the Nationals, that means Josh Harrison gets the start tonight in left field. The veteran utility man has mostly played the infield so far this spring, but he has experience at both corner outfield positions, and Davey Martinez may want to use him as a right-handed...

Parra debuts, Zimmerman slugs, Suero dominates

Parra debuts, Zimmerman slugs, Suero dominates
It was a spring training game, three at-bats and five innings in left field in Jupiter, Fla. Gerardo Parra had done something along those lines hundreds of times in his career. And yet this one felt different. Some 17 months removed from the last game he played in a Nationals uniform, the veteran outfielder wasn't just going through the motions when he took the field Monday. "I feel emotional inside," he said during a Zoom session with reporters afterward. "Really, really...

Voth sees improvement in one-inning debut

Voth sees improvement in one-inning debut
There wasn't much for Austin Voth to hang his hat on in 2020, and he'd be the first to admit it. The right-hander endured through a pretty miserable summer, which at one point included an 0-5 record and an 8.26 ERA. But sometimes all it takes is one positive moment to lift a downtrodden athlete's spirit. Like that one gorgeous drive a hack golfer hits off the 18th tee at the end of an otherwise awful round, one solid outing for a pitcher at season's end can do wonders for his confidence. So...

Lineups: Nats vs. Astros in West Palm Beach

Lineups: Nats vs. Astros in West Palm Beach
The Nationals play their first home game of the spring this afternoon, and there's good news and bad news. The good news: Ryan Zimmerman is in the lineup for the first time in nearly a year. The bad news: Juan Soto, who was supposed to be in the lineup, is not. Soto fouled a ball off his right foot during a live batting practice session Sunday, according to Davey Martinez. The manager said they're just being cautious, and Soto should be good to go in a day or two. But as always with these...

Robles gets first chance to lead off, starters being eased in

Robles gets first chance to lead off, starters being eased in
The last thing anyone should do is read much into spring training lineups, certainly the lineup on Feb. 28. And yet it's impossible to look at the Nationals lineup for today's Grapefruit League opener and not begin to infer some things. Specifically, the guys who are leading off and batting third. That would be Victor Robles and Trea Turner. Just as he suggested last week, manager Davey Martinez is going to take a look at Robles atop his lineup, a move that would allow Turner to move down...

Spring training storylines: Who's the fifth starter?

Spring training storylines: Who's the fifth starter?
Would you believe we've reached the final countdown to spring training? That's right, pitchers and catchers are holding their first official workout in West Palm Beach, Fla., in five days. So it's time to count down the Nationals' top storylines of the spring. We begin today with a familiar battle for the No. 5 starter's job ... So much about this spring will be different for the Nationals, from the new faces in uniform to the new protocols in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19. But...

Which players are on Nationals' roster bubble?

Which players are on Nationals' roster bubble?
When the Nationals convene in 10 days at West Palm Beach, Fla., they will be full of optimism and eager to erase the stench of a 26-34 record in the truncated 2020 season that earned them a share of last place in the National League East. But amid all the cliches about being in the best shape of their lives, boundless hope that things will be better in 2021 and the inevitable focus on how newcomers to the organization will adjust, one factor drives performances more than any other. Some guys in...

Strasburg's return to full health crucial to formulating 2021 rotation

Strasburg's return to full health crucial to formulating 2021 rotation
Nationals starter Stephen Strasburg has recovered well from right hand surgery and is expected to be at full health when spring training begins, hopefully in mid-February 2021. Strasburg pitched in only two games in the abbreviated 2020 campaign, severely hampering a rotation that has been the strength of the Nats success for many seasons. "He was just re-examined on Dec. 4," general manager Mike Rizzo during today's Zoom video call with reporters. "He's coming along great. He should be...

On the importance of rotation depth

On the importance of rotation depth
The Nationals' acquisition Monday of Rogelio Armenteros didn't generate much buzz, nor should it have. A 26-year-old right-hander with five games of big league experience claimed off waivers? That's not exactly blockbuster material. But the move did offer up a reminder of an important but oft-overlooked area of concern for the Nationals and all clubs: rotation depth. Armenteros isn't going to make the Nats rotation out of spring training. If he somehow does, a bunch of things have gone...

After disappointing year, Voth right back where he started

After disappointing year, Voth right back where he started
Our offseason player review series continues today with Austin Voth, who struggled mightily during his first extended opportunity in the Nationals rotation. PLAYER REVIEW: AUSTIN VOTH Age on opening day 2021: 28 How acquired: Fifth-round pick, 2013 draft MLB service time: 1 year, 127 days 2020 salary: $568,900 (prorated $210,704) Contract status: Under team control, could be arbitration-eligible in 2022, free agent in 2026 2020 stats: 2-5, 6.34 ERA, 11 GS, 1 CG, 49 2/3 IP, 57 H, 36 R, 35 ER, 14...