JUPITER, Fla. -- The Nationals took the field in front of fans for the first time in nearly a year, and the energy from the crowd was felt in their Spring Training opener on Sunday.
1,204 fans were in attendance at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium when the Nats made the short trip to play the Cardinals on the first day of Grapefruit League action. They were spaced out in pods, and stadium staff enforced COVID-19 safety protocols throughout the game, which ended in a 4-4 tie.
“I mean this whole heartedly -- it was nice to see the fans. It really was,” manager Dave Martinez said. “We miss them, and they're a huge part of our game. So the guys were excited to see fans out there today, and that was a lot of fun. Like I said, hopefully in the near future, we'll start seeing more people in the stands and get back to some kind of normalcy.”
The Nats will get their first feeling of a home crowd when they host the Astros on Monday afternoon at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. Given that fans at the Cardinals’ park were yelling for Gerardo Parra, who wasn’t even at the game, the Nationals should hear some excited cheers at home.
“I think that’s what makes the game special, being able to share that with the fans,” Trea Turner said. “We didn’t get to do that last year, for obvious reasons. Just having even a small percentage of people in the stadium, it’s nice for us.”
A new look at Robles
Martinez has been intrigued by the possibility of Victor Robles as a leadoff hitter, and he took a look at that scenario on Sunday. Robles batted ahead of Andrew Stevenson and Turner at the top of the order, where he has hit .306 over his career. He went 1-for-3 with an RBI single and two strikeouts.
“I just want him to work good at-bats,” Martinez said. “For him, it's being aggressive in the strike zone, not chasing. … I just want him to play the game, be a good situational hitter, [a] guy that gets on base and gets us going. As we all know, Victor brings a lot of energy every day, [and] we want to actually hopefully start the games off for us with that and get us going early.”
The return of Castro
Starlin Castro stepped up to the plate for the first time in a game since Aug. 13, 2020, and he let it rip. Batting in the sixth spot, the starting second baseman sent a line drive into left field off Cardinals starter Jack Flaherty in the second inning. He went 1-for-2 with a strikeout and a run scored on the afternoon.
“With Starlin, he's going to hit,” Martinez said. “I mean I've known him for many, many years, and this guy hits. As long as he's in the strike zone, he's going to hit the ball hard. He had some good at-bats today. Last year, it took him like almost 15 games or something like that before he got his first hit in Spring Training. It was nice to get that first one out of the way."
Castro began his rehab from a broken right wrist in November in the Dominican Republic. He hit off the tee in December, and he progressed to hitting in the batting cage and on the field in January. After being limited to 16 games in his first season with the Nationals, he is eager to show what he can do in 2021.
“I’m happy to see all my teammates, see all the coaching staff,” Castro said on Saturday. “It’s really emotional for me.”
Soto to debut Monday
Juan Soto did not play on Sunday, but there is no cause for concern over the reigning National League batting champ.
“He’s fine,” Martinez said. “We’ve got a home game tomorrow, so he’ll play here at home tomorrow.”