Good Morning, Washington Nationals Fans,

Here are the latest headlines and analyses around the Washington Nationals and Major League Baseball for today, March 18.

Welcome to the Morning Briefing! Richard here, as Haden has the morning off.

Happy Monday!

Leading this Morning’s Briefing: Josiah Gray

There wasn’t a lot of news coming out of Spring Training. However, the biggest news came Sunday afternoon, when manager Davey Martinez and the Washington Nationals announced who will be the opening day starter when the Nationals face the Reds on March 28, 2024.

For the first time since 2011, when Liván Hernández pitched his final season opener, the opening-day starter will not be named Patrick Corbin, Max Scherzer, or Stephen Strasburg; it will be 22-year-old RHP Josiah Gray.

“Getting named to an All-Star Game was something I can say, again, I never expected,” Gray said in an interview with the media before Sunday afternoon’s game, where he was the starter against the New York Mets. “But then to get the Opening Day nod, it shows the trust and the level of support I have from Davey, the front office, and everyone that I’ve made progress from where I was in 2021 as a rookie to here we are in 2024. I’m really just looking forward to continuing to progress.”

I am completely in agreement with this decision. When the Nationals step onto the field in Cincinnati with Gray on the mound, it will officially close the book on a chapter of the Nationals, only to start writing a new one.

You can read the full article about this here.

Roster Cuts Part II

Also in the news was the second round of roster cuts announced yesterday afternoon during yesterday’s game against the Mets. It was announced that included RHP Jackson Rutledge (optioned to Triple-A Rochester), alongside RHP Robert Gsellman, RHP Luis Perdomo, 2B Darren Baker, 1B Lewin Diaz, and C Brady Lindsly. Regarding Rutledge and his future, Nationals Manager Davey Martinez expressed satisfaction with his performance. "He did well," Martinez said. "We view him as a guy who could potentially come up here and help us. But he needs to establish a routine, get into a groove, and we need to prepare him."

Notably, the Nationals have yet to cut their top prospects, as James Wood, Dylan Crews, Brady House, and Trey Lipscomb remain with the team, although their playing time has significantly decreased.

Week Schedule

• Monday, March 18, 2024: Washington Nationals vs. Houston Astros; RHP Josiah Gray (0-1; 7.36) vs. RHP Cristian Javier (2-0; 1.80); 6:05 p.m. EDT
• Tuesday, March 19, 2024: DAY OFF
• Wednesday, March 20, 2024: St. Louis Cardinals vs. Washington Nationals; 6:05 p.m. EDT
• Thursday, March 21, 2024: Minnesota Twins vs. Washington Nationals; 1:05 p.m. EDT
• Friday, March 22, 2024: Washington Nationals vs. Houston Astros; 6:05 p.m. EDT

Our 40-man Roster Breakdown Continues.

We will break down every player on the 40-man roster until Opening Day. You can read previous editions by clicking the button below.

Click here for the latest off-season headlines, rumors, trades, and more.

ICYMI: Latest articles on the Nats Report

Even though it is the offseason, we have been extremely busy producing great content on the Nats Report. Here are just a couple of the articles that we have published recently that you might have missed:

• Podcast: In the Clubhouse (Spring Training Notes)
• Spring Training Storylines to Watch
• Potential ballpark funding changes
• Can We Get Some Relief?
• Sleepers! Get Your Sleeper Prospects Here!

We are working on a lot of great Nationals-themed content all off-season so make sure that you are following us on all the major social media channels for the latest.

Featured Stories of the Day

• Astros In “Serious Pursuit” Of Blake Snell via MLB Trade Rumors
• Reds’ TJ Friedl to miss Opening Day with fractured wrist via The Athletic (subscription required)
• New Dodger Ohtani says Seoul MLB games will be ‘great memories’ for him and wife via Associated Press

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