Here are some early camp notes on a pair of now veteran right-handers in J.D. Martin and John Simms. 34-year-old Martin looked to reignite his career last season by returning as a knuckleballer. Martin pitched in 24 games between 2009-10 with the Nationals, going 6-9 with a 4.32 ERA. He last pitched professionally in 2013, but returned to the mound within the Nationals organization in 2016, this time as a knuckleball pitcher. Martin started nine games with the Nats in their minor league system...

The Salt River Rafters did well in Arizona Fall League play, finishing second to eventual champion Scottsdale. At 16-13, the Rafters were 1 1/2 games back of the Scorpions in the East Division. Second baseman Chris Bostick had the best surge to finish the fall season. He had nine hits in his final six games, including three doubles, a triple and a home run. It was a whirlwind 2015 season for Bostick. Last season, he was with high Single-A Myrtle Beach and then traded to the Nationals. He played...

Chris Bostick unleashed another outstanding game Tuesday as Salt River defeated Mesa 4-2 in Arizona Fall League play. The second baseman went 2-for-3 with a double, a homer, three runs scored and two RBIs. It was Bostick's fourth double and fourth homer of the AFL season. Bostick hit out of the No. 2 hole and cranked a solo shot in the third inning off of Mesa starter Rob Zastryzny. Bostick raised his average to .275. Right-hander John Simms started and went three innings for the win,...

Catcher Spencer Kieboom had two homers this season for high Single-A Potomac. He now has two homers in Arizona Fall League play after cranking a three-run shot in the first inning Friday night. Salt River dropped Surprise 5-3. He also crushed three-run homer Oct. 27 in a 9-4 win over Scottsdale. Kieboom is hitting .257 and has a .395 on-base percentage in his last 10 games with two homers, seven RBIs and seven free passes. Right-hander Dakota Bacus has a 1.29 ERA in seven appearances with one...

Right-hander John Simms has impressed in his first month in the Arizona Fall League. Simms came into his first game after the starter and a reliever had completed four innings. Salt River trailed 4-3 when he arrived, but the game was tied 5-5 when he departed. He earned the win after pitching three innings and allowing just one run in a 9-7 Rafters comeback victory. After that initial appearance, Simms (3-0) has been tremendously consistent, starting four straight games, tossing 18 innings and...

Right-hander Abel del los Santos took the loss in the Arizona Fall League Rising Stars Game on Saturday night as the West beat the East 8-3. With the game tied at 2-2 in the fifth inning,, de los Santos allowed a couple of hits, a wild pitch, a passed ball and a sacrifice fly. He did finish the inning, allowing only the one run. The Salt River Rafters (12-8) are one game back of Scottsdale for first place in the East Division as the second half begins in AFL play. The Rafters have lost two in a...

Catcher Spencer Kieboom has done nice job so far in the Arizona Fall League for the Salt River Rafters. He has seven hits, one homer and four RBIs in eight games. He has four walks and six strikeouts and his on-base percentage is .379. Kieboom has had seven hits in his last six games. He hit .248 in 71 games for high Single-A Potomac. This is a great sign for Kieboom, who had to battle through a concussion this season while with Potomac. He is also getting a chance to compare notes with catcher...

We are seeing a scorching start for Nationals outfield prospect Rafael Bautista, who currently ranks second in the Dominican Winter League in batting average at .472 over his first 10 games. His slash line is .472/.513/.639 and his OPS is 1.152. Bautista is 17-for-36 with four doubles and one triple, plus three RBIs and two stolen bases for Escogido. Catcher Pedro Severino is hitting .261 over eight games for Aguilas. He has two doubles, a homer and three RBIs. * In the Arizona Fall League,...

Justin Morneau's option was not picked up by the Colorado Rockies. Would the Nationals be interested in the first baseman? They would certainly covet a left-handed power bat of this stature, but would injury concerns and a logjam at that spot make them hesitate? Ryan Zimmerman is at first base for the Nationals and is coming off an oblique injury that finished his 2015 season early. Would the Nationals consider Zimmerman in left field, Bryce Harper in center field and Jayson Werth in right...

Right-hander John Simms had a very good start on Friday as Salt River defeated Mesa 5-1 in Arizona Fall League play. Simms went four innings, allowing only three hits and one run. He struck out four and walked one, surrendering just a solo homer to catcher Stephen McGee. Simms is now 2-0 and has a 2.57 ERA in two games and seven innings for Salt River. The 23-year-old out of Rice was an 11th-round selection by the Nationals in 2013. Salt River won its second straight over Mesa 5-4 on...

Second baseman Chris Bostick, a late addition to Arizona Fall League play, unloaded Thursday with two homers as Salt River outpaced Peoria 9-7. Bostick went 3-for-4 with two-run shots in the sixth and eighth innings. He finished with three runs and four RBIs. Each of his homers gave the Rafters the lead: Down 4-3, his first made it 5-4 and tied at 5-5, his homer made it 7-5. He had two stolen bases on Wednesday and is hitting .375 in his first three games in Arizona. The speedy Bostick replaced...

Left-hander Matt Grace has been a find for the Nationals this season. The UCLA product has been left in to face lefties and righties recently and has not allowed a run in three straight appearances. Grace is 2-0 with a 2.53 ERA. In his last two outings, he battled and worked around walks to a dangerous hitter in the Yankees lineup, Mark Teixeira. Tuesday night it was four sliders that Teixeira didn't swing at. Wednesday, he got behind on three sinkers, 3-0. A fastball got it to 3-1, but then...