Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Healthy perspective helps Stammen

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Craig Stammen posted an 0.87 ERA in seven big-league appearances last season.
VIERA, Fla. -- It's easy to forget now, because of the emergence of Stephen Strasburg and Jordan Zimmermann and the acquisition of Gio Gonzalez and Edwin Jackson, but Craig Stammen was the Nationals' No. 3 starter only two years ago.

Yep, look it up. On April 8, 2010, Stammen started the Nationals' third game of the season, behind John Lannan and Jason Marquis. He went on to start 19 games that year (third-most on the club behind Livan Hernandez and Lannan) duplicating the number of times he took the mound as a rookie in 2009.

At times, Stammen has been quite effective; he's allowed three earned runs or fewer in 23 of 38 career starts. At times, he's been quite hittable; he failed to go more than five innings in 13 of those 38 starts.

Stammen's inconsistencies, coupled with the arrivals of several starters with loftier pedigrees, forced him to the bullpen last season. But he responded with perhaps his best (and most consistent) performance to

Wednesday's workout

Photo by Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER
Gio Gonzalez throws live BP today with Class AAA pitching coach Greg Booker watching.
VIERA, Fla. -- We've reached that inevitable point in spring training where everyone pines for the games to begin. There are only so many defensive drills and live BP guys can take before they start clamoring for some real game action.

Fortunately, that day has nearly arrived. The Nationals will host Georgetown in a charity game Friday at noon, then head to Kissimmee to face the Astros in their official Grapefruit League opener Saturday at 1:05 p.m.

Sensing his guys are just about ready to play nine innings against an opponent, manager Davey Johnson took the unusual step this morning of having his club work out inside Space Coast Stadium instead of on the practice fields just down the road. There are still too many players to use just one field, so half of the squad worked out right across the

Werth, LaRoche, Tracy limited in workout

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Jayson Werth has been hampered by back spasms the last few days.
VIERA, Fla. -- Though they've been fortunate not to suffer any injuries of consequence so far in big-league camp this spring, the Nationals are dealing with several nagging issues that have thinned the ranks at workouts the last few days.

Four players did not participate fully during today's session: outfielder Jayson Werth (back), first baseman Adam LaRoche (ankle), utilityman Chad Tracy (knee) and right-hander Yunesky Maya (flu-like symptoms).

The Nationals consider none of the ailments significant at this point and all were held out more for precautionary reasons than anything, according to manager Davey Johnson, who said he made the decisions to hold them out.

"I would just rather [take one] step back, [then] take two steps forward rather than keep plodding along," Johnson said. "And that was strictly

Harper all tweeted out

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Bryce Harper has attempted to keep his profile low so far this spring.
VIERA, Fla. -- This may qualify as the biggest news of Nationals camp so far: Bryce Harper has deleted his Twitter account.

OK, so perhaps that's not as significant as Ryan Zimmerman's $100 million contract extension or the open competition for roster spots. But given the attention Harper had been getting not only for his on-field performance but also for his online personality, it's sure to catch a few people by surprise.

Why did Harper delete the account last night?

"I just wanted to," the 19-year-old outfielder said. "I was done."

Harper wasn't interested in providing more details than that, though it's perhaps no coincidence he halted his tweeting less than 48 hours after the Nationals held a full-team meeting on PR and media relations,

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Learning when to get away from it all

Photo by Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER
Davey Johnson offers instruction to Danny Espinosa at today's workout.
VIERA, Fla. -- Danny Espinosa has always been the baseball equivalent of a gym rat. Or, as they like to call themselves at Long Beach State, dirtbags.

There's nowhere Espinosa would rather be than the ballfield. Unless he's in the batting tunnel, taking swing after swing long after a game has ended. Or maybe in the video room til midnight, dissecting every one of his at-bats, trying to find a fatal flaw in his swing.

Trouble is, sometimes too much work can damage your game. Hard as that may be for guys like Espinosa to understand, it's often the truth.

"You don't have to hit 500 balls down in the cage after gametime to be able to perform," Nationals manager Davey Johnson said. "I think sometimes you can lose an edge or get a little rusty. But they're so driven, sometimes that's what they do."

It's what Espinosa did much of last summer, as his once-promising rookie season began to spiral out of control. A legitimate All-Star candidate on pace for a 30-30 season at the end of June, he fell apart

Solis to have Tommy John surgery [updated]

File photo courtesy Bill Scheuerman
Sammy Solis will need Tommy John surgery to repair a torn elbow ligament.
Updated at 4:52 p.m.

VIERA, Fla. -- Nationals pitching prospect Sammy Solis has a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow, an injury that will require season-ending Tommy John surgery, the club officially announced this afternoon.

Solis is scheduled to have the ligament replacement surgery next Tuesday in Los Angeles, general manager Mike Rizzo said this afternoon. Orthopedist Lewis Yocum, who performed the same procedure on Nationals pitchers Jordan Zimmermann in 2009 and Stephen Strasburg in 2010, will operate.

Rated by Baseball America as the organization's sixth-best prospect, Solis had been dealing with elbow issues since November, when he was shut down from pitching in the Arizona Fall League with discomfort. Consultations with both Yocum and Nationals team doctor Wiemi Douoguih produced a difference of opinions; though MRIs showed

Werth misses workout with back spasms

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Jayson Werth was held out of today's session for precautionary reasons.
VIERA, Fla. -- Jayson Werth was sidelined for this morning's workout, held out for precautionary reasons due to back spasms.

Manager Davey Johnson wasn't overly concerned about what appears to be a minor tweak to his starting right fielder.

"I'm not worried," Johnson said. "There's plenty of time."

Werth may not be in the lineup for either of the Nationals' first two exhibition games later this week (Friday against Georgetown University, Saturday at the Astros) but Johnson already wasn't planning to use most of his regulars in either game.

He'll probably make his game debut Sunday at home against Houston,

The silent bulldog of the Nats' rotation

Photo by Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER
Jordan Zimmermann pitches live batting practice during yesterday's workout.
VIERA, Fla. -- For all the attention lavished upon Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Edwin Jackson and Chien-Ming Wang over the winter and so far this spring, there's one projected member of the Nationals rotation who always seems to get lost in the shuffle.

Which is a real shame, because Jordan Zimmermann might very well prove to have the best 2012 of any of them.

Now a full 2 1/2 years removed from Tommy John surgery, Zimmermann is finally free to pitch without any shackles holding him back. The Nationals will monitor him just like they would any young starter, but they fully expect him to approach (if not surpass) 200 innings this season and become a stalwart in one of baseball's best rotations.

"He's very focused," manager Davey Johnson said. "But he's in a good frame of mind. Strong as a bull."

Zimmermann doesn't draw as much attention as his rotation mates in part because of his low-key personality. He's a man of very few words,

Monday, February 27, 2012

Wang sharp throwing live BP

Photo by Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER
Chien-Ming Wang throws during live BP today.
VIERA, Fla. -- Though everyone on the pitching staff throws live batting practice, for most guys, it's merely another mundane part of spring training. For some, though, it carries more weight.

Such is the case for Chien-Ming Wang. Though he's now 2 1/2 years removed from major shoulder surgery and appears by all indications to be 100 percent healthy, each of his throwing sessions draws more than a typical amount of attention.

When Wang took the mound today to face hitters, nearly every important member of the Nationals' coaching staff and front office paused to watch. At various points, manager Davey Johnson was there, as were pitching coach Steve McCatty, general manager Mike Rizzo and head trainer Lee Kuntz.

The consensus opinion: Wang was sharp, maybe sharper than he's been

More details on Zimmerman's contract

VIERA, Fla. -- There have been a lot of numbers thrown around since yesterday about Ryan Zimmerman's contract extension, and there's been a bit of confusion over the total monetary value of the deal. Is it a six-year, $100 million extension? Is he guaranteed $126 million over the life of the contract? Or is it $150 million?

It's actually more confusing than that. I did, however, talk to someone today who has an intimate understanding of Zimmerman's contract and managed to get some details that should help clear up the confusion.

Let's start with Zimmerman's annual salary figures, including his current deal that has two remaining years and the new extension that will kick in starting in 2014...

2012: $12 million
2013: $14 million
2014: $14 million

Harper, Rendon likely to start this weekend

US Presswire photo
Bryce Harper should get considerable playing time this spring.
VIERA, Fla. -- It doesn't look like the Nationals will have to wait too long to see their two most recent top draft picks in the starting lineup.

Manager Davey Johnson suggested today that 2011 first-round pick Anthony Rendon will start at third base Friday in the club's exhibition opener against Georgetown University and 2010 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Harper will start in right field Saturday in the Grapefruit League opener at the Astros.

Johnson has been saying all week he's particularly interested in seeing what kind of production he can get from his left-handed bats, hoping to balance out a lineup heavy with right-handed sluggers (Ryan Zimmerman, Michael Morse, Jayson Werth). With right-hander (and ex-National) Livan Hernandez slated to be on the mound for Houston Saturday in Kissimmee, Johnson will try to stack his lineup with as

A manager secure with himself

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Davey Johnson has been popular with players this spring.
VIERA, Fla. -- The Nationals have been holding formal workouts here for a week now, and one thing has become abundantly clear: A Davey Johnson-run spring training is not like most spring trainings.

Johnson likes to do things a bit differently than his predecessors with this franchise. Most notably, he keeps workouts brief, typically no more than two hours. He encourages camaraderie among his players. He wants them to enjoy themselves.

And he stays out of everyone's way. Yes, he's out there on the field and is engaging with players. But he doesn't hover over everything and demand perfection on every single drill.

As one player put it to me this morning: "He treats us like professionals."

Now, it certainly helps that the Nationals' clubhouse is filled with way more veterans than in any previous year. It's tough for a manager to

Forever the Face of the Franchise

Associated Press file photo
Ryan Zimmerman has produced most of the memorable moments in Nationals history.
VIERA, Fla. -- There have been 33 nine-figure contracts handed out in baseball history, and far more of them proved disasters than raging successes. Yes, there's the occasional Derek Jeter deal. But there are way more Alfonso Sorianos and Johan Santanas and Barry Zitos.

Sign a $100 million contract and the whole baseball world is going to be watching every move you make, ready to declare your deal a failure at the first sign of trouble. For some, the pressure is simply too much to bear.

And then there's Ryan Zimmerman. We won't know for many years whether his $100 million extension -- a deal that could eventually be worth $150 million over nine years -- was the right move for the Nationals.

But we do know right now the 27-year-old third baseman isn't worried in the least about handling the pressure that comes with such a hefty paycheck.

"I love pressure, you know that," he said after signing his new deal Sunday. "I don't think people get these kind of contracts that don't want

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Highlights from today's live BP session

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Bryce Harper faced Drew Storen in live BP this afternoon.
VIERA, Fla. -- Oh yeah, today's workout. Despite all the attention lavished upon Ryan Zimmerman and his new contract, there were 51 other players whose highlight of the day was not a formal news conference but a three-hour workout on the back fields behind Space Coast Stadium.

Today marked the first sessions of live batting practice this spring. For the uninitiated, these feature members of the pitching staff throwing what would normally be their bullpen sessions on the actual mound, with a batter at the plate free to swing away.

It's not exactly like a real game situation -- there's an "L" screen in front of the mound to protect pitchers from comebackers, and the large cage surrounding the batter's box -- but it does provide the closest thing to real one-on-one competition as these guys have seen since last fall.

There was major anticipation heading into today's workout because of the possibility of Stephen Strasburg facing Bryce Harper in the live BP session to end all live BP sessions. Sadly, Harper wound up in the wrong

Teammates thrilled for Zimmerman



VIERA, Fla. -- Ryan Zimmerman holds a special place in the hearts of every member of the Nationals roster, which probably explains why more than a dozen of them jammed their way into the tiny interview room at Space Coast Stadium today for the star third baseman's news conference.

Here's just a sampling of what some of Zimmerman's teammates had to say about his long-term contract extension and what he means to the organization...

STEPHEN STRASBURG
"It's huge. And you know what? He's a great player, but he's an even better person. He's very deserving of it. You don't really see that too much. Obviously my college coach, he was a Padre his whole life. It's really great to see another guy who's going to be with one team his whole career."

BRYCE HARPER
"It's very nice to see guys be locked up for five years or six years that are very, very good. We have a great organization of guys. We've got

Zim: "It's where I've always wanted to be"

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Ryan Zimmerman works out this morning after agreeing to a six-year extension.
VIERA, Fla. -- Surrounded by more than a dozen teammates, his manager, his general manager and his agent, Ryan Zimmerman sat down this afternoon to take questions about his new long-term extension and made it abundantly clear how comforting it is to know he'll be playing in Washington for at least eight more years.

"It's where I want to be," he said. "It's where I've always wanted to be."

The "Face of the Franchise" since he was drafted in June 2005, Zimmerman ensured he will retain that title for quite some time. His six-year, $100 million extension -- which kicks in after his current deal expires following the 2013 season -- guarantees he'll be wearing a Nationals uniform through at least 2019.

The two sides spent nearly a year negotiating this contract, at times getting close only to have a sticking point prevent it from getting done. A major hurdle, however, was crossed yesterday when the Nationals

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Done deal: Zim signed through '19

Associated Press file photo
Ryan Zimmerman and the Nationals agreed to a six-year extension this morning.
Updated at 10:11 a.m.

VIERA, Fla. -- After a long Saturday spent overcoming a few remaining obstacles, the Nationals and Ryan Zimmerman put the finishing touches this morning on a long-term contract extension that promises to keep the star third baseman in Washington through at least 2019, perhaps 2020, while making him one of the game's highest-paid players.

Zimmerman agreed to the final terms this morning, a source with knowledge of the talks confirmed. The six-year extension (covering the 2014-19 seasons) is worth $100 million, and there's a $24 million club option for $2010. Zimmerman, 27, is already under contract for the next two seasons for $26 million, meaning he's now guaranteed to make $126 million over the next eight years and perhaps $150 million over the next nine years.

The Nationals will hold a news conference this afternoon to formally announce the deal, which ensures Zimmerman will be a member of the organization until he's at least 35 and makes him the second-highest-paid third baseman in history (behind only Alex Rodriguez).

With this contract now finalized, the Nationals know they have locked up the core of their roster for years to come. There are now 11 key players under team control through at least 2015: Jordan Zimmermann,

Saturday workout wrap-up

Photo by Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER
Danny Espinosa turns a double play during today's first full-squad workout.
VIERA, Fla. -- Fifty-two healthy players took the fields today outside Space Coast Stadium for the Nationals' first full-squad workout of the spring. They very quickly realized a Davey Johnson-run camp will boast some significant differences from ones run by other managers.

Johnson prefers to keep things moving quickly, and he prefers to keep players together in large groups instead of breaking down into small units. Today's workout, including pre- and post-session conditioning, lasted only two hours. And instead of being spread out over four fields, it was mostly confined to two, with all of the regular position players together in one large gathering.

"It was great," shortstop Ian Desmond said. "I like the way we're doing it this year. We're spending the whole time on one field and everyone gets to, in a way, bond. It's good team-building, because everyone's not running around all over the place. You're not seeing each other in passing. It's not like we're going 150 mph. I think we're kind of being treated like pros."

The first portion of the workout was devoted to defensive fundamentals, and plenty of eyes were on Adam LaRoche. The veteran first baseman, eight months removed from surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left

Strasburg to start March 4 vs. Astros

Photo by Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER
Stephen Strasburg throws in the bullpen with Davey Johnson watching.
VIERA, Fla. -- Stephen Strasburg will make his Grapefruit League debut March 4 against the Astros, taking the mound at Space Coast Stadium for the first time since his rookie camp in 2010.

Manager Davey Johnson outlined his entire rotation plans for the first round of exhibition play, which begins Friday with a charity game against Georgetown University.

Matt Purke, the Nationals' third-round pick in last summer's draft, will start that game against the Hoyas, offering the 21-year-old left-hander an opportunity to pitch several innings for perhaps the only time in big-league camp this spring.

Veteran Edwin Jackson will start the March 3 Grapefruit League opener against the Astros in Kissimmee, with Tom Gorzelanny following him out of the bullpen. Strasburg will then take the mound the next afternoon against the same Houston club in Viera, with Ross Detwiler replacing

Zimmerman, Nats still in talks [updated]

Photo by Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER
Ryan Zimmerman worked out today with his contract situation still unresolved.
Updated at 2:09 p.m.

VIERA, Fla. -- Ryan Zimmerman has given the Nationals until the end of the day to hash out the last remaining details of a long-term contract extension that has nearly been completed but has not been finalized quite yet.

Though his original, self-imposed deadline to complete a deal before the first official, full-squad workout of spring training came and went this morning, Zimmerman decided to give the negotiations one last shot before halting them at the end of the day.

"Today is the day," Zimmerman said following the workout. "It's either going to get done, or it's not going to get done. Both sides are working to get over the last little couple of hurdles, I guess you could call them."

Zimmerman didn't specify precisely what hurdles remain, but suggested it remains the same sticking point that has held things up for some

Friday, February 24, 2012

It's about their reputations

Associated Press photo
Ryan Braun plead his innocence today at Brewers camp in Phoenix.
VIERA, Fla. -- What's the No. 1 deterrent for major league baseball players not to take performance enhancing drugs? The risk of getting caught? Possible suspension? Dangerous side effects to their bodies?

No, it's none of the above. The No. 1 reason most players are scared to take steroids or HGH? Let Ryan Zimmerman explain...

"This is our livelihood," the Nationals third baseman said this morning. "That's the biggest thing that can be put on you that takes away your reputation and everything you've ever worked for. You get that once in your career, you're screwed for the rest of your life. Everyone's always going to remember that."

Which is why Ryan Braun, even in victory over MLB in his drug test arbitration case, will probably never be able to clear his name. Whether or not he actually took steroids or something else that caused his

Lidge sharp in bullpen

Associated Press photo
Brad Lidge was pleased with his throwing session this morning.
VIERA, Fla. -- There was a time, earlier in his career, when Brad Lidge would show up for his first bullpen session of spring training, reach back and fire off as many max-effort pitches as his arm could handle.

Somewhere along the way, perhaps after he had dealt with some early season arm injuries, Lidge came to realize there might be a better way to prepare himself at spring training.

"I think I had different approaches when I was younger. I tried to come in and build arm strength, the hell with location a lot of times," he said. "But at this point in my career, I know for me it's wise to start with location and then try to tack on the arm strength after that. And I think that's probably true for most people. Sometimes it just takes a few injuries to let you know that's definitely the way to go."

Now injury-free and secure enough to know he's not trying to win a job on the first day of camp, Lidge is putting his smarter approach to work. His bullpen session this morning was perhaps the sharpest one thrown by any member of the Nationals' pitching staff.

Lidge, 35, wasn't lighting up the radar gun -- actually, there are no velocity readings at these throwing sessions -- but his command was

Jackson to start Grapefruit League opener

Associated Press photo
Edwin Jackson will pitch March 3 against the Astros.
VIERA, Fla. -- Newly acquired right-hander Edwin Jackson is tentatively slated to start the Nationals' March 3 Grapefruit League opener against the Astros, manager Davey Johnson said today.

Johnson revealed a couple other rotation slots for the first week of exhibition play, saying left-hander John Lannan will start March 5 against the Mets (with Chien-Ming Wang throwing a simulated game that same day) and Jordan Zimmerman will pitch March 7 against the Cardinals.

That leaves two spots in the rotation (March 4 against the Astros and March 6 against the Braves) still to be announced, with Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez expected to fill those slots in some order.

Johnson said he won't use any of his regulars in the March 2 charity game against Georgetown University.

With more than five starters in camp who need to be stretched out, Johnson plans to have guys "piggyback" off each other. For example,

Strasburg on ... lots of things

Comcast SportsNet's Kelli Johnson sat down with Stephen Strasburg yesterday in Viera for an interview that covered subjects from coming back from Tommy John surgery to his innings limit this season, to golf and shrimp fishing.

Check out the interview (cut into five parts):

In Part 1, Kelli talks with Stephen about being injury-free to start the season, dealing with Tommy John surgery and having Bryce Harper as a teammate.

Click here to watch Part 1

In Part 2 of the interview, Stephen talks about the attention he's received, if surgery changed his throwing style and how getting some starts last September will help him this season.

Click here to watch Part 2

In Part 3 of the interview, Kelli talks with Stephen about being on a 160-innings count, getting advice from Jordan Zimmerman and the off-season additions to the Nationals pitching staff.

Click here to watch Part 3

In Part 4 of the interview, Stephen comments on possibly being the opening day starter, the Wilson Ramos kidnapping and being managed by Tony Gwynn and Davey Johnson.

Click here to watch Part 4

In the final part of the interview, Stephen talks about how he's been golfing lately and his recent adventure going shrimp fishing.

Click here to watch Part 5

Zim on contract talks, no-trade clause

US Presswire file photo
Ryan Zimmerman has given the Nats 24 more hours to strike a contract agreement.
VIERA, Fla. -- Though optimistic about the progress that's been made over the course of the last year on a long-term contract with the Nationals, Ryan Zimmerman made it clear this morning there is still work to be done before his deadline to suspend negotiations arrives tomorrow.

"These things, they can go from pretty optimistic to pretty pessimistic real quick," he said inside the Nationals' clubhouse this morning. "They go both ways. You get something done, then you need to work on something else, and that thing becomes a road block. There's so many things that go on with these things. You can't really tell until it's finally done."

The Nationals and Zimmerman's agent, Brodie Van Wagenen, have been in talks for about a year and during that time have crossed many hurdles toward a long-term extension. Van Wagenen was in Viera yesterday and met with general manager Mike Rizzo, though he left town without a deal in place and with a few important details still unresolved.

One of the key points, according to sources familiar with the talks, is the inclusion of a full no-trade clause in the contract. Zimmerman will already attain no-trade rights at the end of the 2015 season because

The pitching plan

Photo by Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER
Stephen Strasburg throws in the bullpen yesterday morning.
VIERA, Fla. -- We're approaching the one-week mark of spring training, which means a couple of things: 1) Position players are about to join the mix (the first full-squad workout takes place tomorrow), 2) The coaching staff is starting to put together a pitching game plan for the exhibition season.

Davey Johnson and Steve McCatty were mapping out that pitching plan yesterday and appear to have a system in place (though they aren't revealing specific details yet, like who will pitch on what day).

This much we know: The Nationals have 10 starting pitchers in camp who need to be stretched out over the course of the spring. Those 10 starters: Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann, Gio Gonzalez, Edwin Jackson, Chien-Ming Wang, John Lannan, Ross Detwiler, Tom Gorzelanny, Craig Stammen and Yunesky Maya.

How will the Nats make sure all 10 guys get enough work to build up arm strength and stamina entering the season? Johnson said he'll pair

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Zim, Nats progressing toward extension



VIERA, Fla. -- Negotiations between the Nationals and Ryan Zimmerman have progressed, and though a deal has not been completed yet, the two sides are moving closer to a long-term extension that would keep the third baseman in Washington for years to come, according to sources familiar with the discussions.

Brodie Van Wagenen, Zimmerman's agent, and Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo met this afternoon in Viera, though they left the meeting without a deal in place. Zimmerman has set a Saturday deadline to work something out; after that, he says he won't negotiate until after the season.

"As far as I know, there are no new negotiations going on, but Brodie's been down here," Zimmerman told Comcast SportsNet's Kelli Johnson this evening. "They've been talking a little bit. We still have a couple days, but like you said, I'd love to play here the rest of my career

Infielders getting work at multiple positions

Photo by Mark Zuckerman / NATS INSIDER
Tony Beasley gives Anthony Rendon instructions on playing second base.
VIERA, Fla. -- Anthony Rendon at second base? Danny Espinosa at shortstop? Steve Lombardozzi at third base? Don't be surprised if you see all of that this spring.

Wanting to prepare themselves in case of injuries, the Nationals plan to have several of their infielders see action at multiple positions during camp and during games once the Grapefruit League opens next weekend.

Perhaps the most intriguing position switch would be Espinosa sliding over from second base to shortstop. The 24-year-old was a top prospect at shortstop at Long Beach State and during his climb up the ladder in the Nationals' farm system. But with Ian Desmond already holding the starting job at the big-league level, Espinosa moved to second base shortly before making his major-league debut in Sept. 2010 and has remained there ever since.

Some have long wondered whether Espinosa would actually be a better defensive shortstop than Desmond, who committed 34 errors as a rookie in 2010 and then 23 more last season. Manager Davey Johnson,