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Washington Nationals at Miami Marlins: Grapefruit League GameThread...

Jeremy Hellickson starts for the Nationals this afternoon as they take on the Marlins in Grapefruit League action from Jupiter, FL. Listen at 1:05 PM EST on the MLB At Bat app...

By Patrick Reddington
MLB: Spring Training-Washington Nationals at Miami Marlins Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Davey Martinez has a number of expected everyday regulars in the lineup this afternoon for the Washington Nationals’ Grapefruit League game against the Miami Marlins in Jupiter, FL’s Roger Dean Stadium.

Jeremy Hellickson is on the mound for the Nats today, making his second start of the Spring after he tossed two scoreless in his 2019 debut, walking one and striking out three in a start against the Houston Astros last Wednesday.

Hellickson talked after that outing about where he was now in terms of his preparation for the regular season compared to this point last Spring, when he was still unsigned, waiting for a contract in mid-March.

“I got a good Spring Training in last year,” Hellickson said.

“I was on my own, but I was throwing to [Mike] Moustakas and some other guys out there, so I wasn’t just throwing bullpens, so I was ready, but it’s just you can’t simulate game speed, game situations, but it is nice to hopefully get five or six more starts and actually be really ready for the season this year.”

It’s also nice, Hellickson said, to be back in the same city for a second consecutive season after he bounced around from Tampa Bay (2014), to Arizona (2015), to Baltimore (‘16), and Philadelphia (2016-17) before signing on in Washington.

“I love the guys here,” he explained after arriving in West Palm Beach last month. “Love the staff. Showing up last year, about five days left in Spring, didn’t really get to get to know the guys like you usually do in Spring, so it was fun to get to know them during the season, and then the staff, from the training staff to the clubhouse guys are awesome. And it’s just nice coming back to familiar faces for the first time in four years.

“Like I said, last year, I just wanted to come to a place where we were going to win. And I feel like we just had some unfinished business from last year, and I just wanted to get back over here and finish that.”

Here’s the Nationals’ lineup for today’s game against the Marlins:

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