Nationals 14, Mets 0
APRIL 5, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON NATIONALS 71-91 · 4TH IN NL EAST
71-91 · 4TH IN NL EAST
Questions linger as the Nats pack their bags following Spring Training The rotation and bullpen remain in flux but Nationals Manager Dave Martinez said Tuesday he's "excited about this group."
APRIL 5, 2022 • WASHINGTONPOST.COM
Ehire Adrianza - Beginning season on IL Adrianza (quadriceps) will open the season on the 10-day injured list, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Impact The 32-year-old suffered a quadriceps strain March 31 and it now appears it will keep him out of commission for the first couple series of the 2022 campaign. When healthy, Adrianza will likely operate as super-utility option in the infield off the bench for the Nationals this season. He will look to build upon his .247 batting average and 14 extra-base hits from 2021.
APRIL 5, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
Nelson Cruz - Swats first spring homer Cruz went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.
Impact The ageless slugger took Miles Mikolas deep in the fourth inning for his first homer of the spring. Cruz was hitting third Monday behind Juan Soto, a spot he should fill during the regular season and which should provide him with plenty of RBI opportunities.
APRIL 5, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
Andres Machado - Having strong spring Machado gave up a hit and a walk while striking out one in a scoreless inning of relief during Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.
Impact The 28-year-old right-hander has looked good in camp, as he hasn't given up a run in three Grapefruit League appearances with a 5:1 K:BB. Machado picked up 10 holds over 40 appearances out of the Nationals' bullpen last year, and he figures to fill a similar middle-relief role in 2022.
APRIL 5, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
Hunter Harvey - Sent to minors Washington optioned Harvey to Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday, Matt Weyrich of NBC Sports Washington reports.
Impact Harvey, a 2013 first-round draft pick, is likely one of the top arms in the Washington bullpen from a talent standpoint, but myriad injury concerns have limited him to fewer than 35 regular-season innings pitched in six of the last seven campaigns. After he was tending to a triceps injury earlier this spring before being waived by the Giants and subsequently claimed by the Nationals, Harvey looks to be healthy again, but Washington may want him to get some more appearances under his belt at Triple-A before considering him as an option for the big-league bullpen. The Nationals' closer picture looks unsettled at the moment, so Harvey could factor into the mix at some point if health prevails and if he's able to make bats miss at the prolific rate he did during his brief stint with Baltimore at the tail end of the 2019 season.
APRIL 5, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
Aníbal Sánchez - Secures rotation spot The Nationals selected Sanchez's contract and added him to the 40-man roster and 28-man active roster Tuesday, Matt Weyrich of NBC Sports Washington reports.
Impact Washington optioned reliever Hunter Harvey to Triple-A Rochester to clear space for Sanchez, who will be part of the Nationals' Opening Day rotation. Though the 38-year-old was a key part of the Nationals' World Series-winning club in 2019, he struggled mightily in his last stint in the big leagues in 2020 (6.62 ERA, 1.66 WHIP in 11 starts) before sitting out the 2021 campaign entirely. Sanchez was touched up for 10 earned runs over four innings in his final Grapefruit League start March 30 against the Cardinals, though he must have fared well enough in his simulated game Monday for the Nationals to include him in their Opening Day rotation. Given his advanced age and the fact that he's three years removed from his last productive big-league season, Sanchez should probably be viewed as an NL-only fantasy option until his results warrant attention in mixed leagues.
APRIL 5, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
Alcides Escobar - Draws back into lineup Escobar (neck) will start at shortstop and bat seventh in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Impact Escobar sat out Monday's game against the Cardinals with neck stiffness, but he'll be back in action for the Nationals' spring finale. Assuming Escobar avoids any setbacks Tuesday, he'll be set to open the season as Washington's everyday shortstop after Luis Garcia was unable to supplant him atop the depth chart before being optioned to Triple-A Rochester. Escobar's top backup, Ehire Adrianza (quadriceps), is set to open the season on the injured list, so Lucius Fox will step into the backup role at shortstop but isn't expected to see much use behind Escobar.
APRIL 5, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
MLB Insider Predicts Yankees Will Acquire Superstar Juan Soto Next Offseason This MLB insider believes the Nationals will trade their star outfielder to the Yankees in a deal including New York’s top prospect Anthony...
APRIL 5, 2022 • STAR-TELEGRAM.COM
Baseball is back and the Red Wings are set to open. Here are 6 things you need to know After a rough first season as the Triple-A club of the Washington Nationals, the Red Wings have a revamped roster that debuts Tuesday in Tol...
APRIL 5, 2022 • DEMOCRATANDCHRONICLE.COM
MLB 2022: 40 things to watch this baseball season
FOX Sports' MLB Writers get you ready for Opening Day with their lists of the players, teams and events to watch this season.APRIL 4, 2022
Nationals star Soto set for new second spot in batting order WEST PALM BEACH , Fla. (AP) — To the Washington Nationals, too many games ended last season with star Juan Soto watching from the on-deck ci...
APRIL 4, 2022 • THESTAR.COM
Join the Nationals for Opening Day hype event In anticipation of Opening Day, the Washington Nationals and Major League Baseball are hosting a “Road to Opening Day” event at Girard Stree...
APRIL 4, 2022 • MLB.COM
Cardinals 4, Nationals 3
APRIL 4, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Dee Strange-Gordon - Pushing to return to majors Strange-Gordon went 3-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a run scored in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros.
Impact The veteran infielder hasn't seen regular action in the majors since 2019 and spent all of last season bouncing between three different Triple-A affiliates, but Strange-Gordon is making a strong case for a bench spot with the Nationals by batting .448 (13-for-29) this spring. Aiding his push for a spot on the 40-man roster is the fact that both Alcides Escobar (neck) and Ehire Adrianza (quadriceps) are banged up right now and may not be ready for Opening Day, while the organization has already decided prospect Luis Garcia needs more seasoning at Triple-A. The Nats have a track record of rehabilitating the careers of players seemingly in the twilight of their careers, with Escobar, Josh Harrison and Howie Kendrick all providing recent examples, and Strange-Gordon did steal 22 bases for the Mariners during that 2019 campaign. If he does break camp with the club and Escobar is unavailable, the 33-year-old would likely be competing with Lucius Fox for playing time at shortstop out of the gate.
APRIL 4, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
Keibert Ruiz - Clubs first spring homer Ruiz went 4-for-5 with a home run, three RBI and three runs scored in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros.
Impact The young backstop busted out after a sluggish start to the spring, capping his big performance with a two-run blast off Hector Neris in the eighth inning. Ruiz is locked in as the Nationals' starting catcher after being one of the key pieces in last year's Trea Turner trade with the Dodgers, and he's coming off a season in which he slashed .310/.377/.616 with 21 homers in only 72 games between Oklahoma City and Rochester at the Triple-A level.
APRIL 4, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
Maikel Franco - Goes yard Sunday Franco went 2-for-3 with a walk, a two-run home run and a second run scored in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros.
Impact Getting the start at third base and hitting seventh, Franco took Phil Maton deep in the sixth inning for his first homer of the spring. Franco is in line to open the season at the Nationals' starting third baseman with Carter Kieboom (elbow) out for at least a couple months, but he holds little fantasy appeal outside of deeper NL-only formats after he managed only 11 home runs and a .608 OPS in 403 plate appearances for the Orioles in 2021.
APRIL 4, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
Jordan Weems - Goes to minors The Nationals reassigned Weems to minor-league camp Monday, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.
Impact Though he made a strong case for a spot in Washington's Opening Day bullpen by striking out six over five scoreless frames during his four Grapefruit League appearances, Weems will ultimately begin the season with Triple-A Rochester. Weems previously made seven unsuccessful appearances in the majors between Oakland and Arizona last season, giving up 10 earned runs and issuing six walks in 5.2 frames.
APRIL 4, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
After whirlwind weekend, Lucius Fox could land on Nats' Opening Day roster “They just told me to be ready to play,” said Lucius Fox, who has an opportunity to make the Nationals’ Opening Day roster as a backup infie...
APRIL 4, 2022 • WASHINGTONPOST.COM
Health to play major role in Nationals' fortunes WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Opening Day on Thursday marks the beginning of the Nationals’ first full season in their new chapter following last...
APRIL 4, 2022 • MLB.COM
Erick Fedde - Cleared to start Tuesday Fedde (oblique) is scheduled to start Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.
Impact Fedde will take the hill for the Nationals' exhibition finale after he experienced no renewed soreness with his right oblique coming out of Sunday's bullpen session. The right-hander has made only two Grapefruit League starts to date and topped out at 2.2 innings in his most recent outing March 26, so the Nationals will likely have him stretch out a little longer Tuesday for his final tuneup in advance of Opening Day. If all goes well, Fedde could get the ball five days later in the finale of the Nationals' season-opening series with the Mets in Washington.
APRIL 4, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
Alcides Escobar - Dealing with stiff neck Escobar won't play in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals due to a stiff neck, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.
Impact The Nationals are viewing Escobar as day-to-day for now, but the timing of the injury is less than ideal with the team's season opener versus the Mets just three days away. With Escobar's health suddenly in question and Ehire Adrianza (quadriceps) on track to begin the season on the injured list, the Nationals brought up Lucius Fox from Triple-A Rochester to provide some extra insurance at shortstop. Fox would most likely pick up the Opening Day start Thursday if Escobar can't go.
APRIL 4, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
Lucius Fox - Secures spot on Opening Day roster The Nationals recalled Fox from Triple-A Rochester on Monday and informed him that he will be included on the Opening Day roster, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Impact Washington was already looking to bring aboard another utility infielder with Ehire Adrianza (quadriceps) on track to open the season on the injured list, and that need became greater after Alcides Escobar was held out of Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals due to a stiff neck. As a result, the Nationals elected to reverse their previous transaction involving Fox, who was optioned to Rochester a week ago. The 24-year-old is unlikely to see much action while he's up with the big club, but Fox's ability to switch hit and play three infield positions and center field should make him a useful bench piece.
APRIL 4, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
Juan Soto to the Yankees? Carlos Correa one and done in Minnesota? Bowden's 22 predictions for the 2022 MLB season Rafael Devers' future in Boston and Albert Pujols' return are just a few of the topics being forecasted on this year's list.
APRIL 4, 2022 • THEATHLETIC.COM
