What questions do Nats face before opener?
WASHINGTON -- Three exhibition games down, 60 regular-season matchups to go. The Nationals wrapped up their Summer Camp intersquad action on Tuesday with a 6-4, rain-shortened win over the Orioles. In just two days they will finally embark on defending their World Series title when they host the Yankees for
WASHINGTON -- Three exhibition games down, 60 regular-season matchups to go.
The Nationals wrapped up their Summer Camp intersquad action on Tuesday with a 6-4, rain-shortened win over the Orioles. In just two days they will finally embark on defending their World Series title when they host the Yankees for the first game on the 2020 Major League Baseball calendar.
“We wanted to get some other guys at-bats. They brought some extra pitchers, so it would have been nice to see us finish the game [and play nine innings],” said manager Dave Martinez. “But I can't do anything about Mother Nature. We'll have some more at-bats tomorrow for guys that need to hit, and then we'll get ready to go.”
Washington went 2-1 in exhibition competition. While preseason records don’t count, they are reflective of questions that have been answered and those that still need to be resolved with the season beginning on Thursday.
• How Nats' Opening Day roster is shaping up
Third base
The Nationals have a 22-year-old prospect and 34-year-old veteran available to man the hot corner, and both are expected to do so this season.
Designated hitter
The new designated-hitter rule presents the opportunity for the Nats to have another heavy hitter in the lineup -- and they have options. Postseason hero
“Eric's been hitting the ball since he's been here really hard, even in our intrasquad games,” Martinez said. “Howie -- to me, he's just a professional hitter. He has a plan every time he goes up there. He's very short, uses the whole field. Having him here, having him hitting behind Juan, is a blessing. It really is. Those two guys in the middle of our lineup are going to help us out a lot.”
Fifth starting pitcher
Who will round out the starting rotation and who will pitch significant innings out of the bullpen? That’s an announcement the Nationals have not made as they weigh their options between right-handers
Center field
“He looks fine,” Martinez said. “My big concern is that he's a runner and he's got to use his legs. So far, so good. … He stole a base today, which is what I wanted to be able to see. … He's going to come in and get some more at-bats tomorrow, and then we'll go from there. From what I've seen, possibly he could be ready to play Opening Day. If not, maybe Saturday.”
Bullpen
The Nationals got an inning out of the 'pen from
“I think our depth is pretty good,” Martinez said. “We brought in a guy, [Ryne] Harper, this winter and he’s looked really good. We’ve got other guys that can do the job: [Kyle] Finnegan, we [signed]. He’s a guy that has a lot of intensity, throws the ball really hard. … [Sam] Freeman threw the ball well. We’ve still got some decisions to make, but I like what we have so far.”
Up next
The Nationals open their quest to defend their World Series championship on Thursday night, when
Jessica Camerato covers the Nationals for MLB.com. Follow her on Twitter @jessicacamerato, Facebook and Instagram.