The Morning Briefing: Max Scherzer Looks Sharp in Second Spring Training Start of 2021

Washington Nationals and Major League Baseball headlines, news and the latest news coming out of Washington Nationals Spring Training for Thursday, March 11, 2021

by Richard Wachtel

Updated March 11, 2021

Good Thursday Morning, Washington Nationals Fans!

Today's Game Time Forecast West Palm Beach via the National Weather Service:

A slight chance of sprinkles before 4 pm. Sunny, with a high near 73. Breezy, with east winds 16 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.

Games this Week:

3/11/2021 at Marlins 1:05 pm EST
3/13/2021 v. Mets 6:05 pm EST

Make sure to follow The Nats Report on Twitter for updates on the latest Washington Nationals and Major League Baseball during the day!

Countdown Clock:

Opening Day: 21 Days

Today's Top Story: Max Scherzer Looks Sharp in Second Spring Training Start of 2021

Well, if there were any nervousness about the strength of Max Scherzer heading into the final year of his contract and recovering from a pre-Spring Training ankle injury, you can put those fears to bed after his start yesterday.

The Washington Nationals ace made his second Spring Training start on Wednesday in a 3-2 win over the Cardinals. Scherzer has been building up his pitch count to 42. The right-hander fanned five and didn't allow a single hit or run in a trio of three-up, three-down frames. His velocity reached 95 mph, and Martinez noted his breaking ball's sharpness and Schzer's performance in a Zoom press conference after the game.

"Typically, when he's throwing the ball pretty good, he'll let out a couple grunts," Martinez said of right-hander Max Scherzer. "He did that a few times today, so that was encouraging."

One player missing from yesterday's action was Right Fielder Juan Soto. According to Martinez, Soto was feeling a "little" ill yesterday and saw a doctor, but he was not allowed at the facility due to safety protocols. Asked about potential contact tracing, Martinez said, "I don't think it's that kind of situation. It could be a multitude of things, so I don't want to speculate on anything. We just know that hey, when somebody's sick nowadays or feels any kind of sickness, we keep them away."

Game Plan "B" Yesterday against the Cardinals

The Washington Nationals held another game against the St. Louis Cardinals also on Wednesday afternoon. This was game "B," which featured the return of Gerardo Parra. The 33-year, who is with the Nats in camp as a non-roster invite, played three innings in right field; according to Jessica Camerato of MLB.com, Parra is "recovering from right knee surgery, and he has yet to be cleared for game action. Martinez estimated that Parra is playing at 85 percent as he continues to get back in baseball shape."

Also playing and pitching in the Game B game were Nationals prospects Jackson Rutledge, Cade Cavalli, Cole Henry, Joan Adon, and Tyler Eppler.

Today's Game Information

Washington Nationals v. Miami Marlins
First Pitch: 1:05 pm EST
Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, Jupiter, FL

Make sure to follow The Nats Report on Twitter for updates on the latest Washington Nationals and Major League Baseball during the day!

The math could work for the Nats to extend Trea and Soto!

Yes, you read the headline correctly, and Nationals fans should be optimistically cautious, however according to Steven Mears of TalkNats.com, there is a way for the Nationals to extend both Trea Turner and Juan Soto. Mears breaks it down in this great article: "The rest of the deals are for team control that extend beyond 2026. Of note, and as most fans know, this is the final year of Max Scherzer's seven-year deal. The Nats will shed over $75 million in payroll in the off-season. If the team can develop some starting pitching within the system, that would create the savings to sign Turner and Soto long-term."

Recently, on the Nats Report, we broke down a dream situation for the Washington Nationals to sign Juan Soto long term.

Join The Nats Report: Writers and Editors Wanted

As we get closer and closer, we are looking for additional writers to join the Nats Report and cover the Washington Nationals. We are looking for writers and editors to join the Nats Report team. There is no article minimum that you have to meet each month. Write as many articles as you want. We want to have fun!

Click here to find more information or hit Reply to this email if you are interested.

Perspective: Nationals Fans Deserve to be in the Ballpark for Opening Day or Right after

Almost a year removed from the COVID-19 outbreak, Nationals fans deserve to make their own decision on if they want to see a Nats Game or not.

However, Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser recently commented that D.C. is looking to lift some virus-related restrictions on businesses, possibly including attendance at professional sports games as soon as Mid-March, according to Washington Post Julie Zauzmer. At this point, the Mayor needs to start letting fans decide if they want to return to watch the Nationals play at Nats Park.

Podcast Alert: In the Clubhouse with the Nats Report

Recently, I sat down with our pal Chris Russell from Team 980 here in Washington D.C. We talked all about the recent Spring Training games, lineup ideas, and so much more during the conversation. As always, it is worth taking the time to listen.

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-clubhouse-nats-report-first-weeks-impressions-spring/id1536750004?i=1000511961162

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4ceM1MZhkmONVgRNsbcVuG

Megaphone: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/AMPM5157305677.mp3?updated=1615140842

Sticher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-nats-report/episode/in-the-clubhouse-with-the-nats-report-first-weeks-impressions-of-spring-training-with-chris-russell-82193919

We are working on getting some great guests on the podcast, so make sure that you subscribe to the podcast wherever you find your favorite podcasts.