Given the opportunity to write what might well be their opening night lineup for the premiere of Saturday’s exhibition, Nationals Manager Davey Martínez included a slightly unexpected name: Asdrúbal Cabrera.
Two weeks after suggesting novice Carter Kieboom It would be his third base every day for this shortened season, Martinez offered a track that is probably not 100 percent true. Cabrera, not Kieboom, got the go-ahead against the Phillies and appears to be the most likely option to start Thursday against the Yankees and many more games on the way.
“Both players are going to play third base, they know that,” Martinez said.
That statement seemed to conflict with Martinez’s statement at the beginning of summer training that the job would belong to Kieboom.
“From now on, yes,” Martinez said on July 4. “I anticipate a 60-game season that will come out and play every day.”
Ultimately, Kieboom can play most days this season, but there seem to be times when Martinez prefers his veteran alternative. And the opening night against Gerrit Cole is probably one of those nights.
It highlights the difficult task the Nationals face this year after losing star Anthony Rendon to the Angels. Unable or unwilling to add a big-name replacement from outside the organization over the winter, they decided to stick with Kieboom, their most successful prospect who only has 10 sets of professional experience at third base.
Kieboom was not entirely comfortable on the field during spring training, and although he has made several above-average plays so far this summer, he is still a work in progress. Meanwhile, Cabrera is a major league shortstop and second baseman who hasn’t played nearly as much in third, but has been softer than his young counterpart in drill and in-scale games.
In the end, it looks like both of them will have opportunities to play, aiming to prepare Kieboom to take over in the long run at some point.
“He’s going to play. He is our third baseman, ”Martinez said of Kieboom. “We definitely want to play Cabby too. But it will definitely be out there. He’s going to play. But Cabby will play third, he will play second, he will play first, possibly DH. When we start, we’ll see where we are. “
* * Max Scherzer’s The start – seven runs allowed in the first two innings before he set out to retire nine of the last 10 batters he faced – attracted all the attention on Saturday night. However, the guy who threw relief after the ace could have made a more important statement.
Austin Voth, vying for starting job No. 5, he pitched four scoreless innings of a two-hitter, striking out five without giving up any bases.
“He threw the ball very well,” Martinez said. “He released some crisp changes. I know you have been working on it. It was very good. “
Voth continues to compete with other right-handers Erick Fedde for the final position in the Nationals rotation. Fedde made his own case with four scoreless innings in an in-school game on Wednesday.
Either of the two pitchers who are not chosen for the initial job will open the season in the bullpen.
* The Nationals are fortunate to be able to avoid major trips during the exhibition season and the first week of the regular season. His only game outside of DC during this leg is the Monday night exhibit in Baltimore, a simple bus ride away.
But his first series of the season (July 29-30 at the Blue Jays) has been extended since the schedule was unveiled. And now they don’t even know where they will fly for that interleague series after the Canadian government denied the Blue Jays’ request to play their home games in Toronto.
Citing major concern about roundtrip travel between Canada and the United States, and the inability to quarantine all parties traveling for 14 days upon reaching north of the border, the government informed the Blue Jays that they would have to Look elsewhere for a home ballpark this season.
A final decision has yet to be made, but team president Mark Shapiro told reporters Saturday that they are looking at the Triple-A ballpark in Buffalo and the Blue Jays spring training complex in Dunedin, Florida. . Buffalo Stadium, built in the late afternoon. 1980 is not really up to the standards of the big leagues, but Florida presents a higher health risk due to the recent increase in coronavirus cases there.
The Tiles now have 10 days to resolve it. Nationals can only wait and know where they will fly for their first road trip this unusual season.
“This is what I have been saying to our boys: Look, every day will be a challenge,” said Scherzer. “There is something new that will appear every day. That is the reality of the state of this world. “
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