FEBRUARY 25•WASHINGTONPOST.COM
Perspective | It's clear the young Nats are on the way. Less clear: Who will lead them.The Nationals’ next wave of talent is getting closer and closer. Those young standouts will need veteran guidance once they arrive.
Verlander: 'Hard to forecast' return to game actionWEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- It’s still too soon to tell whether Astros ace Justin Verlander will be ready to pitch on Opening Day. Verlander re...
FEBRUARY 25•MLB.COM
Kyle Tucker - Poised to bat cleanupManager Joe Espada said Sunday his ideal lineup has Tucker hitting cleanup, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
ImpactTucker has primarily hit fifth or sixth in his big-league career, though he split his time evenly between the Nos. 3, 4 and 5 spots last season. The 27-year-old has been one of the most consistent offensive producers in baseball and hit .284 with 29 homers, 112 RBI, 97 runs and 30 steals in 2023, and he's set up for another big year while batting behind Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez and Alex Bregman.
FEBRUARY 25•ROTOWIRE
Yordan Alvarez - Set to bat secondManager Joe Espada said Sunday that he plans to bat Alvarez second this season, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.
ImpactAlvarez mostly hit out of the No. 3 hole last season and also has plenty of appearances as Houston's cleanup hitter, but the new skipper wants to move him up the lineup. The change shouldn't significantly alter the slugger's run production but will lead to more plate appearances over the course of a full season.
FEBRUARY 25•ROTOWIRE
Wood highlights strong spring opener for Nats prospectsWEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Nationals manager Dave Martinez had lauded the organization’s top prospects for maximizing their time so far in the...
FEBRUARY 25•MLB.COM
Forrest Whitley - Injury not expected to be seriousAstros manager Joe Espada said Saturday that Whitley's right middle finger injury "doesn't look like it's something significant," Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
ImpactWhitley wasn't able to throw a scheduled bullpen session Saturday because of soreness in the finger. He's been sent for testing, but the expectation seems to be that this won't be a long-term absence. Injuries are unfortunately nothing new for Whitley, who was limited to just 30 innings in 2023 with a lat strain.
FEBRUARY 25•ROTOWIRE
Jen Pawol becomes first woman to umpire spring training game since 2007
Jen Pawol’s spring training debut marked the first time since 2007 that a woman umpired a major league spring training game.FEBRUARY 25
