Hall of Fame sportswriter Thomas Boswell to throw out Nationals Opening Day first pitch
MASN Staff
Masn
Hall of Fame sportswriter Thomas Boswell, whose columns chronicled the return of baseball to the nation’s capital, the Washington Nationals 2019 World Series run and everything in between, will throw out the ceremonial Opening Day first pitch as the Club begins its 20th Anniversary celebration on Thursday, March 27. Visit nats.com/February to secur
Zack Britton: “Just even watching the arms out there throwing and the hitters, it’s a pretty stacked system"
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
SARASOTA, Fla. – Zack Britton stood behind the row of bullpen mounds Tuesday morning with another former Orioles pitcher, Ben McDonald, and watched the side sessions. He went indoors earlier with a fungo bat in hand to retrieve his glove, unsure whether he might actually use it. This is Britton’s first experience as a guest instructor, and the enjo
Early notes on Day 7 of Orioles spring training
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
SARASOTA, Fla. – Gary Sánchez’s experience catching Japanese pitchers won’t necessarily give him regular starts on days that Tomoyuki Sugano is on the mound. Maybe it evolves that way. Sánchez was behind the plate yesterday for Sugano’s bullpen session, and he’s caught Masahiro Tanaka with the Yankees and Yu Darvish with the Padres. “Post-bullpen,
Nationals agree to terms with Lucas Sims
MASN Staff
Nationals
The Washington Nationals agreed to terms with right-handed pitcher Lucas Sims on a one-year contract and transferred right-handed pitcher Mason Thompson to the 60-day Injured List on Wednesday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement. Sims, 30, joins the Nationals after he pitched to a 4.38 ER
Nats add veteran righty Sims to bullpen short on experience
Mark Zuckerman
Nationals
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Nationals have added a much-needed experienced arm to their bullpen, albeit one trying to bounce back from a rough year. Veteran Lucas Sims formally signed a one-year deal with the Nats this morning, the 30-year-old right-hander getting a major league contract and thus a near-guaranteed spot on the Opening Day staff. Nee
How Bradfield's game is evolving
Brendan Mortensen
Masn
SARASOTA, Fla. – There aren’t many prospects in baseball with an 80 grade tool.  The grading scale, ranging from 20 to 80, evaluates five different tools for position players: Hit (evaluating contact), power, run (evaluating overall speed offensively and defensively), arm and field.  MLB Pipeline’s highest graded position player, Roman Anthony, doe
Rehabbing Gray tries to make most of spring training opportunities
Mark Zuckerman
Masn
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Josiah Gray knows exactly where he currently stands in his rehab from Tommy John surgery. “I’m about six months and three weeks in,” he said. “It’ll be seven months on the 24th.” Forgive the Nationals right-hander for being able to recite such specific mileposts off the top of his head. It’s just the way it is for any rehabb
Some extras on Tomoyuki Sugano's bullpen session
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
SARASOTA, Fla. – Orioles pitching coach Drew French was eager to begin working with Tomoyuki Sugano even before the Japanese right-hander agreed to a $13 million contract. The deal became official and French approached interpreter Yuto Sakurai with a favor. Simple in nature but hugely meaningful. “I said I need to start learning his language a litt
Thoughts and quotes on first full workout, plus guest instructor schedule
Mark Zuckerman
Masn
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Before his team took the field for the first official full-squad workout of the spring, Davey Martinez gathered everyone together this morning for his first “Circle of Trust” meeting of the spring. No, there weren’t any camels. Nor any other live animals. Yet. (There’s still five weeks of camp to go, of course.) There was, h
Sugano in total control of today's first bullpen session
Roch Kubatko
Orioles
SARASOTA, Fla. – Tomoyuki Sugano can work through a lineup and jet lag with similar ease. The first bullpen session for Sugano this morning lived up to the tremendous hype. He threw 35 pitches and exhibited his usual pinpoint control. Only the slider was omitted from a repertoire that consisted of a four-seam fastball, cutter, splitter, sinker and