The Washington Nationals faced their first rain-out of Spring Training last night, a rare event in Palm Beach County, which has been playing catch-up with its rain deficit over the past few days.
In a move that caught many off guard, the Nationals made notable roster cuts this morning, sending Robert Hassell III and Josiah Gray to Spring Training camp. While Gray's cut wasn't a shocker, Hassell seemed like a strong contender for a spot as a lefty outfielder.
Now, the outfield roster is down to a decision between Dylan Crews, Joey Wiemer, and Christian Franklin. The bullpen still has five cuts pending, and GM Paul Toboni might be eyeing external options through trades or waiver pickups, especially for players with no options left.
Manager Blake Butera is undoubtedly focused on Opening Day, which is just a week away. Zack Littell is set to make his second start today as he gears up for the regular season. Due to yesterday’s rain-out, this will be Littell’s last game against another team before the season kicks off, though he might pitch in an intra-squad game on Tuesday in D.C.
The Nationals have been turning heads with their pitching, boasting the best ERA in Spring Training at 2.97. However, their defense has been shaky, committing 10 errors in the last four games. Yet, when it mattered most, the defense held strong to secure a narrow 1-0 victory recently.
With just 23 Spring Training games and one exhibition game under their belt, no Nationals batter has more than 37 official plate appearances, and no pitcher has logged more than 13⅓ innings in official games. A total of 68 Nationals have stepped up to the plate, with two more appearing in games without plate appearances, bringing the tally to 69 position players. Meanwhile, 53 pitchers have made appearances.
The bullpen battle remains intense, with 13 relievers vying for just eight spots. The contenders, listed alphabetically, include:
- Clayton Beeter
- Andre Granillo
- Cole Henry
- Brad Lord
- Griff McGarry
- Cionel Pérez
- PJ Poulin
- Orlando Ribalta
- Jackson Rutledge
- Paxton Schultz
- Drew Smith
- Gus Varland
- Ken Waldichuk
Following this game, the Nationals will host their annual Spring Breakout game, featuring 27 of their top prospects. The lineup will include nearly all of their Top-15 prospects, with the exception of Harry Ford and Luis Perales, and two pitchers, Jarlin Susana and Travis Sykora, who are not deemed healthy. First pitch is set for 4:30 pm EDT.