Lester to throw simulated game, Harris not on mound yet

The Nationals' lineup and bench are now complete with Monday's activation of Josh Bell, Kyle Schwarber and Josh Harrison. The Nationals pitching staff, however, is still not at full strength and won't be until two veterans - Jon Lester and Will Harris - are ready to make their season debuts.

Each is making progress toward that goal, but it appears each still needs some more time to get there.

Lester, who was among the nine major leaguers who had been in quarantine after either testing positive for COVID-19 or coming into close contact with someone who did, is now working out at the Nationals alternate training site in Fredericksburg. He is scheduled to throw a simulated game Thursday, according to manager Davey Martinez, capped at a pitch count of around 45-50.

Martinez couldn't say yet how the club will proceed with Lester beyond this simulated game - "We'll just have to evaluate how he feels after that, and then go from there," the manager said during his pregame Zoom session with reporters - but the low pitch total suggests the lefty will not be ready to start a big league game just yet.

The Nationals are being particularly cautious with Lester because he has now endured two unexpected breaks in his preparation for the season. The 37-year-old had to leave camp in early March to have one of his parathyroid glands removed, a procedure that sidelined him for about two weeks.

Lester wound up making only three Grapefruit League starts, his most recent on March 28, when he totaled 75 pitches in 4 1/3 innings against the Cardinals. The Nats hoped at the time to find a way to have him pitch once more in a simulated game before making his season debut, but that never happened after the club's COVID-19 outbreak.

It would stand to reason the Nationals will want Lester to at least reach the 75-pitch mark again before letting him start a regular season game, though they haven't explicitly said that yet. One factor that may help them not feel compelled to rush Lester back: Erick Fedde was sharp in Monday night's start, allowing one run on two hits in 4 2/3 innings.

Harris, meanwhile, is also throwing at the Fredericksburg camp, but the veteran reliever has not yet resumed throwing off a mound in his return from inflammation in his right hand. To this point, he's only throwing long toss on flat ground, and it doesn't sound like the club has any reason to rush him.

"We've just got to build him up. Basically, we're starting him like it's spring training all over again," Martinez said. "The good news is, so far he feels fine. I know he's been throwing. He'll probably do that a couple more times before we actually get him to throw a small bullpen."

Harris, 36, appeared in only two Grapefruit League games (plus a B game) this spring before complaining of numbness in his pitching hand. He was initially diagnosed by a West Palm Beach doctor with a blood clot in his arm, and traveled to St. Louis to be treated by a specialist.

That specialist performed a venagram, which determined Harris did not actually have a blood clot. He returned to camp ready to resume his throwing program, but knew he'd have to open the season on the injured list.

At this point, Martinez says no concrete diagnosis has been made to explain the numbness Harris has experienced in his hand.

"No, everybody deemed him so far fine," the manager said. "He said it's something he's going to pitch through. And he totally feels fine. It's weird. It's just a weird situation."