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As of today, Opening Day is ten days away. The Nationals play at home against the Yankees in seven days. If it’s starting to feel real, it’s because it is.
Here’s the news from Nats Park:
Michael Taylor wasn’t going to start, but here’s why his injury is so concerning for the Nationals (The Athletic)
The expectation for the Nats had long been that Michael A. Taylor would get almost regular playing time, taking the spot of any outfielder in need of a day off. Now, they don't have a legitimate replacement for Victor Robles in center (further dialing up the pressure on him, especially given Howie Kendrick's injury) — and it shows just how fragile this team's depth is.
Jake Noll, once a college walk-on, is having a great spring with the Nationals (WaPo)
Jake Noll has hit .344 this spring, playing every infield position outside of shortstop (and Bloons Tower Defense). And although it seems improbable, his journey from college walk on to Player of the Year in the Atlantic Sun conference to a rookie forgetting his bags everywhere was also improbable. Moreover, if this spring is any indication, that journey may very well continue to the majors.
Michael A. Taylor starts light work just three days after spraining knee and hip (WaPo)
Taylor wrote a rare tweet on Sunday, letting fans know that the MRI produced good news and that he had hit, thrown, and run in the pool.
Nats name Kurt Suzuki personal catcher for Anibal Sanchez (106.7)
Sánchez will exclusively throw to Suzuki as he did last year (and the duo combined for a 2.83 ERA) — though it doesn't mean Suzuki won't catch other games.
Stephen Strasburg not hiding from Mets (MLB.com)
The Mets refused to show Noah Syndergaard and Jacob deGrom to the Nats this week, for fear of spoiling their first series against them. Stephen Strasburg, the longest-tenured pitcher in the NL East, did not feel that pressure.
After a few missteps, Romero focused solely on Tommy John recovery (MASN)
Remember Seth Romero, the pitcher we all thought we would never see again? Anyway, he got Tommy John surgery last summer — and hopefully a change of attitude came with it. (He also seems like he's cut some weight.)
2019 MLB Bold Predictions (Baseball America)
The Nats will win the East, Anthony Rendon will come in third for MVP, Scherzer will win another Cy Young, and Robles will be the third place finisher for RoY. One writer has the Nationals reaching the World Series and losing to the Yankees.
Juan Soto keeps ripping at Spring Training (MLB.com)
Juan Soto had never hit in big league Spring Training before this year. Now that he has his timing down and feels comfortable, he's crushed every pitcher he's seen to the tune of a .400/.488/.800 clip with three homers over 41 at-bats. How old is this guy, again?
Martinez hasn't chosen opening day catcher yet (MASN)
Kurt Suzuki has consistently struggled against Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard, while Yan Gomes has limited experience against the two. In other words, it's a crapshoot.