Washington Nationals

Washington Nationals star Stephen Strasburg has been scratched from Saturday's start against the New York Yankees because of a nerve issue in his right hand, manager Dave Martinez announced.

Strasburg described the injury as a "nerve impingement" and does not expect it to be a long-term issue.

"I don't think it will keep me out too long," Strasburg said, per Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com. "...To be frank, this season is kind of a mess to begin with. I've got to think about the big picture."

Right-hander Erick Fedde will start for Washington in place of Strasburg.

Strasburg is coming off a terrific 2019 season with a 3.32 ERA and 251 strikeouts in a National League-leading 209.0 innings. He was instrumental in Washington's run to the franchise's first championship, winning World Series MVP with a 2.51 ERA in 14.1 innings against the Houston Astros. 

Staying on the field has been a problem for him throughout his MLB career, though. Since the 2012 season, he's only reached 30 starts twice and has thrown more than 200 innings once. 

The Nationals will be more reliant on their starting pitching this season after losing third baseman Anthony Rendon to the Los Angeles Angels in free agency. Their lineup still looks strong with Juan Soto, Trea Turner and Adam Eaton as notable players. 

Strasburg's absence impacts Washington's pitching depth, though, with Max Scherzer and Patrick Corbin still leading the staff. Anibal Sanchez, Austin Voth and Fedde will likely fill out the rest of the group for the time being. 

Other Washington Nationals players and staff members have apparently cleared protocol from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after Juan Soto tested positive for COVID-19.

Hannah Keyser of Yahoo Sports shared the team's statement that said "contact tracing was conducted and none of our players or staff were deemed to have met the CDC definition of close contact. We will continue to follow MLB's protocols and guidelines."

This comes after general manager Mike Rizzo told reporters Soto tested positive and was asymptomatic after testing negative multiple times.

Soto played in Tuesday's exhibition against the Baltimore Orioles, so it is not difficult to envision a situation where other players were exposed depending on when he caught the virus. Allen Kim and Jacob Lev of CNN noted he was tested Tuesday with results coming in Thursday morning, although other players tested negative.

Nationals manager Dave Martinez previously said, per Bradford William Davis of the New York Daily News, "[MLB] went through all the contact tracing, [and] they said everybody else was good."

However, he also said "the guys closest to [Soto]" were undergoing further evaluation.

Martinez was also asked how he felt about the league's protocols and said, per Keyser, "I'm a little bit more concerned now until we get our next round of tests results and they come back negative."

Soto cannot return to the team until he tests negative twice over a span of at least 24 hours.

The 21-year-old was a key part of the team's World Series title last year and slashed .282/.401/.548 with 34 home runs and 110 RBI.

Washington Nationals star Juan Soto has tested positive for the coronavirus and will be out of the lineup for Thursday's season opener against the New York Yankees, general manager Mike Rizzo announced. 

Soto is not currently listed on the Nationals' 30-man roster. The first pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET at Nationals Park.  

Rizzo told reporters that Soto was tested for the virus two days ago and only got the results Thursday morning. He'll need to test negative for COVID-19 twice over a span of more than 24 hours before he can rejoin the team, per protocols from Major League Baseball and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

No other Nationals players tested positive for the virus, per Rizzo, and contract tracing performed by the club will not prevent anyone else from missing time on the field.

"I think you have to take a business-as-usual type of approach to it," Rizzo said (h/t Yahoo Sports' Hannah Keyser). "Just like any other injury during the season."

Soto, 21, is one of the most important players in the Nationals lineup. The second-team All-MLB selection slashed .282/.401/.548 with 34 home runs and 110 RBI last year and helped Washington capture its first World Series in franchise history. 

Now entering his third full season in the big leagues, the Dominican Republic native is expected to continue his rise as the club looks to defend its title. 

The 6'1", 220-pound left fielder is likely to be replaced by Michael A. Taylor, with Adam Eaton and Victor Robles manning the outfield alongside him. 

Washington Nationals star Stephen Strasburg provided some insight Monday into what players will go through before road games during the 2020 season. 

Speaking to reporters after his exhibition start against the Baltimore Orioles, Strasburg called the process "pretty intense" for the entire team: 

"You get on the bus, and you have to wear a face mask the whole time. Then you get in, and basically they temperature screen you. It's kind of tough to get a good temperature reading when it's 100 degrees outside.

"But if you pass that, then you come into the clubhouse, and everybody's kind of sectioned off. So it's just kind of an adjustment that we have to make. But unfortunately, it's kind of challenging to build team chemistry in an environment like this right now."

Under MLB's health and safety protocols, players receive a coronavirus test every other day and antibody testing once per month. They are also banned from spitting, chewing tobacco, high fives, fist bumps, and hugs. 

Per ESPN.com, players receive two temperature checks and must complete a symptom questionnaire at a screening station before being allowed into the stadium:

"...in another area, some will be tested for COVID-19 (all Tier 1 individuals will be subject to testing every other day during the season). These screening stations must be a safe distance from entrances and allow for physical distancing between those waiting. Our player arrives at about the same time as five other players, and at least one person would conduct the screening."

Monday marked Strasburg's first experience of pitching away from Nationals Park leading up to the 2020 season.

If Strasburg was taken aback by the different circumstances that will come with pitching this year, he didn't show it once the game started. The three-time All-Star allowed one run on six hits with six strikeouts over five innings. 

The Nationals will open the regular season on Thursday against the New York Yankees. Strasburg's is scheduled to start the second game of that series on Saturday. 

One of the nation's most prominent figures amid the COVID-19 pandemic will usher in the beginning of the 2020 MLB season Thursday.

The Washington Nationals announced Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, will throw out the first pitch for Thursday's opener against the New York Yankees.

"Dr. Fauci has been a true champion for our country during the COVID-19 pandemic and throughout his distinguished career, so it is only fitting that we honor him as we kick off the 2020 season and defend our World Series championship title," the announcement read.

The announcement also called Fauci a "Nats super-fan," which is something he reminded the United States about in June when he wore a Nationals-themed facemask while testifying before a House committee as part of the coronavirus task force:

In April, Fauci appeared on the Snapchat show Good Luck America (h/t Matt Weyrich of NBC Sports Washington) and said he wanted to see baseball return without fans this year. 

"I think you'll probably get enough buy-in from people who are dying to see a baseball game, particularly me," he said. "I'm living in Washington, we have the world champion Washington Nationals. I want to see them play again."

There will be no fans at Nationals Park on Thursday as Major League Baseball attempts to play a 60-game season that was shortened because of the COVID-19 pandemic and a lengthy back-and-forth between the players and owners on a number of issues, including payment and health and safety protocols for the shortened campaign.

The Nationals are looking to defend their crown in what will be a sprint to the playoffs.

They still have Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg anchoring the rotation and Juan Soto spearheading the lineup, so it would not be a surprise to see them contend once again even though slugger Anthony Rendon moved on to the Los Angeles Angels in free agency.

One thing is for sure: Fauci will be cheering them on even as he does what he can to help the United States emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic that has plagued the country for months.

The Washington Nationals have reportedly received clearance to play their 2020 season-opening series against the New York Yankees at their home stadium of Nationals Park, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

Jesse Dougherty and Dave Sheinin of the Washington Post reported Thursday that the MLB club had begun exploring other venues for next weekend's games because of coronavirus-related restrictions in the nation's capital.

The Nats and Yanks will help kick off the shortened 60-game regular season next Thursday as part of a doubleheader on ESPN. The San Francisco Giants' matchup with the Los Angeles Dodgers will follow.

Washington and New York have Friday off before playing the final two games of the series Saturday and Sunday. It's their only head-to-head matchup of the campaign, which will see teams play 40 games against divisional opponents and 20 contests against regional foes from the other league (AL East vs. NL East, etc.).

The Nationals are the reigning World Series champions after entering last year's playoffs as a wild card before knocking off the Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers, St. Louis Cardinals and Houston Astros en route to winning the franchise's first title.

In May, Nats manager Dave Martinez said the club wouldn't raise the banner and distribute the championship rings until fans could be in attendance.

"I'm sure that I speak for everyone in our organization: We're going to celebrate, somehow, some way. ... We want to hang the banner with fans. We want to get our rings with fans. When? We don't know. How? We don't know. But we want them to be involved," Martinez told reporters.

He added: "For me, this is a big deal. A big deal for everybody. So we want to include everybody."

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said the league wanted to complete games without issue before even considering the potential return of fans.

"I think we need to get on the ground running and get comfortable that we can play games in empty stadiums safely before we move forward with fans," Manfred told Ronald Blum of the Associated Press in late June.

The Nationals' regular-season schedule runs through Sept. 27.

Bleacher Report's David Gardner interviews athletes and other sports figures for the podcast How to Survive Without Sports.

The Washington Nationals may not open the season at Nationals Park because of COVID-19 protocols enacted by the city of Washington D.C., according to Jesse Dougherty and Dave Sheinin of the Washington Post.

Per that report, the team is exploring alternate sites in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and West Palm Beach, Florida, just one week out from Opening Day. 

The main sticking point is the city's requirement that any player, coach or staff who tests positive for the coronavirus would have to quarantine for 14 days, per Dougherty and Sheinin. The Nationals are worried that could serve as a competitive hindrance. 

The Los Angeles Dodgers are also dealing with city requirements regarding quarantine periods, though it is unclear if they are investigating alternate sites. 

Major League Baseball has strict rules for players or staff members who have tested positive for the coronavirus or may have been exposed, but a mandated 14-day quarantine isn't among them. 

The organization's Class A stadium at Fredericksburg is believed to be the leading candidate for Washington as a replacement site. 

The Nationals are set to host the New York Yankees on July 23. To date, the team has put eight players and one coach in D.C.'s 14-day quarantine for either testing positive for the coronavirus or potentially being exposed to it. 

Last week, Major League Baseball saw 66 positive COVID-19 test results (58 players, eight staff members) out of 3,740 total tests. 

Washington Nationals reliever Sean Doolittle addressed the negotiations that took place between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

Doolittle told reporters the shifting focus from safety and mental health to salary structure "felt tone-deaf" and "felt gross."

Asked about owners suggesting fans could be back in ballparks by the end of the season, Doolittle spoke about how much worse off the United States is than other developed countries:

New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner told YES Network's Meredith Marakovits that the team has spoken with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo about being allowed to fill Yankee Stadium in the "20-30 percent range" with fans at some point this season. 

The owners and players spent weeks engaging in a war of words about what shape a potential 2020 season would take.

The two sides originally agreed to a deal on March 26 that included a $170 million advance in salaries for the players spread over two months and full prorated salary based on the length of the season, per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. 

Once the two sides started negotiating for a season, players proposed seasons of 114 games and 89 games with full prorated salaries. Owners rejected those offers, countering with shorter seasons of 82 games, 76 games and 72 games with a percentage of prorated salaries in each offer. 

MLB imposed a 60-game schedule starting on July 23 or 24 that the union agreed to on June 23. Players reported to summer camp in their team's home ballpark on Friday, but the coronavirus has had a significant impact on the proceedings. 

The league and union jointly announced a total of 38 positive COVID-19 cases out of 3,185 tests administered. Eight players and coaches have so far opted out of playing this season. 

Doolittle told reporters he's "prepared to play" right now but will opt out "at any point" if he doesn't feel safe.

Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez announced two players on the team tested positive for the coronavirus out of the 60 players tested, according to Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press.

MLB announced Friday the 3,185 tests across baseball yielded 38 positive results for COVID-19, including 31 players and seven staff members.

All players were required to get tested upon arriving at their camps on July 1 and they are expected to be tested every other day over the course of the season.

Those who test positive will be required to self-isolate until they test negative twice, allowing them to rejoin the team.

The Nationals will already be short-handed heading into the 2020 season with Ryan Zimmerman and Joe Ross opting out of competing. 

"We are one-hundred percent supportive of their decision to not play this year," general manager Mike Rizzo said in a statement.

Washington will also be without Anthony Rendon, who signed a seven-year, $245 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels in free agency after finishing third in MVP voting last season.

The Nationals should still have plenty of talent on the roster after winning the first World Series in franchise history last season. According to Caesars, the squad has 18-1 odds to defend its championship with a title in 2020.

The Washington Nationals will be without first baseman Ryan Zimmerman and right-hander Joe Ross when they attempt to defend their World Series title in 2020.

The team announced Monday that both players are opting out of the upcoming MLB season, which begins in late July:

CAA Baseball, the agency that represents Zimmerman, shared a statement from the two-time All-Star:

The Athletic's Britt Ghiroli reported that two to three other Nationals players "are still deciding" about their availability as well.

Zimmerman had previously expressed his reservations in an essay for the Associated Press:

"I have a 3-week-old baby. My mother has multiple sclerosis and is super high-risk; if I end up playing, I can pretty much throw out the idea of seeing her until weeks after the season is over.

"There's a lot of factors that I and others have to consider. I don't think there's a right or wrong answer; it's everybody's individual choice.

"At the end of the day, does a player feel comfortable going to the field every day and -- in my case, more importantly -- feel comfortable coming home every day and feel like they're not putting anyone else in danger?"

Injuries have prevented Zimmerman from being a mainstay in the Nationals' lineup in recent years. Only twice since 2013 has he made 100-plus appearances.

The 35-year-old might have benefited from the adoption of the universal designated hitter across MLB in 2020, though, since it would've lessened his risk of injury while allowing him to contribute offensively for Washington.

Ross, on the other hand, was slated for a more defined role as the team's No. 5 starter. The veteran right-hander made 27 appearances—only nine of which were starts—for the Nats in 2019. He finished with a 4.59 FIP and a 1.67 WHIP, per Baseball Reference.

The team will likely have to turn to Erick Fedde to fill out the rotation. The 27-year-old struggled in the role a year ago, averaging 4.7 strikeouts and 3.8 walks per nine innings. His 5.34 FIP was also the worst on the team among qualifying pitchers, according to Baseball Reference.

Danny Horwits, the agent for Mike Leake, announced Monday the Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher is opting out for 2020. The 32-year-old was the first MLB player to take the step amid the COVID-19 pandemic.