Get to know you and you:
Davey Martinez spoke about being in West Palm Beach, Fla., on the first day of 2024 Spring Training, watching all of the players brought into the club this year reunite, get comfortable and get to know each other.
Returning players from the 2023 roster, players signed this winter, and prospects in the system who were invited to major league spring training are all starting to prepare for Opening Day.
“We’ve already seen some of the players mix and interact with the veteran players, so it was interesting to see how they interacted and the overall combination,” Martinez said. Told.
“So I’m excited, I’m really excited about this year. I talk a lot about what our young players did last year. Another year. And I’m excited about what they did this year for us. I look forward to doing great things.”
Photo Credit: Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images
Among those who have already arrived, Martinez said there is tremendous talent in one place.
“I forgot how many incredible young players we have,” he said in his first press conference of the spring.
“I’m excited about this group. I really am,” he added. “I’m excited about the future and the direction we’re going.”
“There’s excitement there, we know that,” GM Mike Rizzo said Wednesday. Quoted by Andrew Golden of The Washington Postabout the players they’ve signed, drafted and acquired in trades over the past few years coming together to build something in the nation’s capital.
“It just builds. As they grow together in their careers, a friendship begins and that’s how the chemistry evolves. This is a good starting point toward that goal.”
Martinez said he saw all the players on the second day, “…starting conversations, players starting to communicate with each other, starting to build bonds again,” adding, “…it never gets old.” Ta.
Injury news:
Mason Thompson struggled through an up-and-down 2023 campaign.
Thompson, 25, pitched 11 games and 19 innings in April, posting a 1.89 ERA, 2.47 FIP, one walk, 17 strikeouts, and a .194/.217./313 batting average. By the end of May, his ERA had reached 4.76, with a 4.00 FIP and a .252/.316/.383 line in 21 games and 28 1/3 IP on the year. He posted a 10.61 ERA, 7.11 FIP and a .350/.458/.500 slash line in 9 1/3 IP.
The hard-throwing right-handed relief pitcher bounced back with a strong June (In 12 games and 11 IP, he posted a 0.82 ERA, 3.26 FIP, and a .189/.333/.216 batting average.), but July was another tough month for Thompson, posting a 9.00 ERA, 4.13 FIP, and .394/.462/.455 batting average in nine games and eight innings. He went to the IL in August with knee issues.
Upon his return, Thompson appeared in nine games from August 20 to September 10, pitching 6 2/3 IP, posting a 12.15 ERA, 5.36 FIP, and a .441/.474/.706 batting line. Nominated as a triple. Make room on the roster for Jackson Rutledge to start.
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Photo by Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images
Unfortunately, 2024 spring training isn’t a great start for Thompson.
“Mason, he’s got a little bit of an issue with his arm right now,” coach Davey Martinez told reporters on the first day of spring training.
“We’re going to see what’s going on with him. Let’s take it slow with him.”
Thompson is currently out of action for two weeks after feeling discomfort in his elbow while pitching in the bullpen. And yes, there are some concerns about this issue.
“We’re a little worried,” Martinez admitted.
“Like I said, we’re going to take it slow with him. It’s early in spring training, so we’ll see. We’re going to rehab him and see how he’s doing in the next two weeks. is.”
Thompson explains what went wrong in the bullpen session: Quoted by Mark Zuckerman of MASN:
“It felt really good. I hit the ball well,” Thompson said. “Towards the end, I just felt something, just discomfort, something didn’t feel right. After a few days, I realized it was just fatigue from facing a batter pitching at full speed for the first time. I had high hopes. Unfortunately, it just continued and here we are now.”
CF IN DC:
Victor Robles, who will turn 27 in May, will be at bat in 2023 with a record of 32 RBIs in 107 at-bats (.299/.385/.365), playing in just 36 games overall, and He was placed on IL duty in early May due to an injury.
He returned to action in mid-June, but ended up going back to the IL on June 20th and never returned to the majors. Nationals manager Davey Martinez said this was really disappointing, especially considering Robles’ play early on. Year.
“That stinks for him and it stinks for us because we asked him to change his swing.” As quoted by MASN’s Mark Zuckerman, Martinez said toward the end of the year:.
“He did it and he did it really, really well. I really wish we could have seen that in 550 at-bats because I think he would have surprised a lot of people.
“But now only time will tell.”
General manager Mike Rizzo told reporters this winter that he wanted to meet with Robles, who was highly touted as a rising prospect and played a key role on the Nats’ 2019 championship roster in his first full season as a 22-year-old. told. MLB season.
Asked this winter what he hopes to see in center field in 2024, Rizzo replied, “Stay healthy and be Victor.”
“Like Victor in 2019, he played with fire in his hair when he was a rookie and was a very good player.
“We know it’s there and we’re waiting for it to come back. And a healthy Victor playing like he played in 2019 is an asset to the team.”
Is Victor Robles guaranteed to be the starting center fielder? Does Jacob Young have a chance to beat him this spring? Davey Martinez had this to say about the tournament today: https://t.co/rqJjz32W32
— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) February 15, 2024
“Everything depends on his health,” Martinez said at the winter meetings. “I’m happy to have him back. We could definitely use him.”
Last season, with Robles sidelined for an extended period of time, Alex Cole played 81 games as a center for the Nationals, and Jacob Young played 32 games as a center, the third most on the team.
Martinez said on the first day of spring training this year that he thought the center field job in D.C. was up for grabs and that Young, 24, and Robles were the top two contenders for the spot.
“You’re going to have a battle for center with Young and Robles,” he said. Quoted by Mark Zuckerman of MASN.
Asked on Day 2 to elaborate on where the club is heading into this spring, Robles said Thursday that Robles will probably start with the edge, but there will be battles.
“If I had to say at this point, I think Vic has a little bit of an edge. But I liked everything I saw about Jacob,” Martinez explained. “He’s young, but you have to remember, Vic is still really young and he’s had his injuries. I would like to try it.
“But I love the way Jacob plays and I know he can play here and help us win.
“I think he showed it and I think he’s going to get better from here. But Vic was our center fielder, so for now I’d say they’re going to compete, if they’re both even.” I think Vic had the upper hand.”
