Washington Nationals vs New York Mets vs Miami Marlins: Grapefruit League GameThreads...

Through four starts and thirteen innings pitched this Spring, Patrick Corbin, who signed a 6-year/$140M deal with the Washington Nationals this winter, has given up 15 hits, seven runs, six earned, and two walks, striking out seven, with opposing hitters hitting .294 against him thus far. He makes his fifth start today in a split-squad, Grapefruit League game with Miami.

Joe Ross and another squad will be in Port St. Lucie, FL, where they’ll take on the New York Mets.

Ross, 25, in his first full season back following Tommy John surgery, has not started a game this Spring, but he’s given up just eight hits and two runs, one earned, in five appearances he’s made out of the bullpen, walking three and striking out seven in 7 ²⁄₃ IP.

Ross makes his first start this afternoon at 1:10 PM EDT against the New York Mets in First Data Field, while Corbin stays at home in West Palm Beach’s FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches to take on the Marlins.

Corbin, according to manager Davey Martinez, is set to start the the third game of the Nats’ season-opening series with the Mets, after Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg face their NL East rivals in the first two games of the regular season.

Ross’s future is less clear. Though he’s been used out of the bullpen this Spring, he’s been stretched out some in his appearances, and Martinez has talked to reporters over the last few weeks about potentially keeping him in the bullpen to start the year and getting Ross starts like today’s.

Will the years of talk about Ross maybe being better suited to a relief role finally lead to a decision to move him to the bullpen? Is he better for the organization as rotation depth if any of the other starters miss time, which they’re bound to at some point?

Are you going to listen to Corbin starting against the Marlins or watch Ross vs the Mets? Or both?

Here are the Nationals’ lineups for this afternoon’s games (which might be interrupted by rain):