Worth noting

• In his first outing against Major League hitters since the World Baseball Classic, Gio Gonzalez threw 85 pitches in six innings, scattering four hits and allowing one run. He struck out three, dropping his ERA to 1.93 this spring.

The only damage came in the second, when John Buck walked to lead off the inning, advanced on a Lucas Duda single and scored on a sacrifice fly.

"It's still one of those starts where your arm feels a little tired, still working on stuff trying to get that arm strength," Gonzalez said. "By the time the season starts, hopefully I'll be right where I need to be."

• Reliever Drew Storen gave up a home run to Duda to lead off the seventh, and took the loss on Saturday. His final line was one run allowed -- the homer -- and a walk. He struck out two, and said his offspeed stuff was in good shape.

"That's usually the last thing to come in," Storen said. "But the main thing is, the fastball's been good. Just left a couple up. Now, it's a matter of just consistently being on top of it, and I'll be alright."

Storen, who has a 5.40 ERA this spring after giving up five runs in his last five innings of work, was working in the low 90s with his fastball. Johnson said that velocity isn't a concern at this point.

"It might worry him, but it doesn't worry me," Johnson said. "It's about him getting out there enough to where he starts feeling the ball with his breaking ball, his changeup. Power pitchers always in the spring need longer."

• The Nationals initially intended to have Ramos catch all nine innings on Saturday. But the heat -- temperatures in Port St. Lucie climbed into the upper-80s -- prompted Johnson to pull him a few innings early, also giving Carlos Maldonado some time behind the plate.

"I sweated a lot, it was pretty hot," Ramos said. "But I feel the same, it feels good. I'm ready to play more. … But it was another step for me, playing in the hot weather."

• The Nationals received former second-round and Rule 5 Draft pick Jeff Kobernus back from the Tigers on Saturday. The 24-year-old utilityman was in position to possibly make the Tigers' Opening Day roster as a bench player, but will return to Nationals' Minor League camp this week.

A Rule 5 pick for the Tigers in December, Kobernus was batting .220 with two triples and three RBIs in 50 Grapefruit League at-bats with Detroit.

The Tigers would have had to keep Kobernus on their 25-man active roster the entire season if they didn't return him to Washington. In sending him back, the Tigers will get half of the $50,000 they paid to get him.