Reporters Notebook from West Palm Beach: There will be baseball played tomorrow

Volume 1 Issue 7

After months without baseball, the Washington Nationals are set to make their return to the diamond tomorrow, marking the commencement of their 2024 season and Spring Training. This serves as the focal point for today's Reporter's Notebook.

Two quick housekeeping items:

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While we await the announcement of the starting lineup for Spring Training, the starting pitcher and pitching schedule for the upcoming game on Sunday have been disclosed. According to Andrew Golden of the Washington Post, left-handed pitcher Patrick Corbin is set to start tomorrow.

The pitching roster includes Jackson Rutledge, Joan Adon, DJ Herz, Jordan Weems, Richard Bleier, and Robert Gsellman—all scheduled to throw. Corbin, Rutledge, and Adon will throw around 35 pitches each. On Sunday, MacKenzie Gore, Jake Irvin, Kyle Finnegan, Hunter Harvey, Amos Willingham, Joe La Sorsa, and Angel Perdomo will be on the mound, with Gore and Irvin aiming for approximately 35 pitches.

The game on Saturday kicks off at 6:05 pm, and you can catch it on nats.com.

One intriguing aspect to watch will be the placement of the top Nationals prospects in the lineup and on the field. The excitement builds to see them wearing the Curly or Block W!

Even more captivating is where these top prospects will begin the season—perhaps some with the Harrisburg Senators and others starting in Rochester. This positioning may offer insights into the development of numerous Nationals prospects. Notably, infielder Trey Lipscomb, a versatile player, could start in the majors if Manager Dave Martinez follows through on his positive remarks about Lipscomb's game. Should Luis García Jr. face challenges early in the season and Lipscomb excels, there's a possibility Lipscomb could get a shot.

Another storyline to monitor this weekend is the performance of Jackson Rutledge, who is expected to enter tomorrow's game after Corbin's appearance.

At the conclusion of the previous season, Rutledge had two commendable and two challenging starts. Despite this, his underlying stats and slider display promising aspects. Given that taller pitchers often require an extra season or two to fully develop, the late-season call-up might have been a whirlwind experience for Rutledge. Hence, it's reasonable to give the Nationals' 2019 first-round pick the benefit of the doubt.

Earlier this week, Dave Martinez informed the media that Rutledge has been focusing on improving his hip mobility during the offseason. This adjustment is anticipated to enhance his command, which was identified as his weakest attribute last year.

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