Washington Nationals vs. New York Mets - News - March 14, 2023

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David Peterson - Rotation battle heating up Peterson walked one and struck out five over four scoreless, no-hit innings in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Nationals.

Impact With Jose Quintana (ribs) projected to be out until around the All-Star break, there's an opening in the Mets' rotation, and the competition for it is fierce. Tylor Megill fired four scoreless innings against the Marlins on Monday with three strikeouts, but Peterson topped that Tuesday with a brilliant performance over 68 pitches (41 strikes) against a Washington lineup that contained a handful of Opening Day starters, including CJ Abrams, Keibert Ruiz and Corey Dickerson. Peterson might have the edge over Megill right now simply by virtue of the fact that he'd be the only southpaw in the New York rotation, but this battle could come right down to the wire.

MARCH 15, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Sam Coonrod - Nursing high-grade lat strain The Mets announced Wednesday that Coonrod has been diagnosed with a high-grade right lat strain, Abbey Mastracco of the New York Daily News reports.

Impact The team hasn't provided a timetable, but the injury is one that could conceivably keep Coonrod sidelined for months. The right-hander had been pitching well this spring and seemed to have a good shot to win a spot in the Mets' Opening Day bullpen, but there's a vacancy there now.

MARCH 15, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Jose Ferrer - Making push for roster spot Ferrer could open the season in the Nationals' bullpen, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

Impact The 23-year-old left-hander has yet to pitch above Double-A, but Ferrer was added to the 40-man roster in the offseason to protect him from the Rule 5 draft and has a 3:1 K:BB through 3.2 spring innings while seeing work early in Grapefruit League games in order to face big-league hitters. The Nationals don't have many healthy lefty relief options left in camp -- Ferrer's current competition is down to journeyman Anthony Banda and fellow relief prospect Matt Cronin -- and while Sean Doolittle (elbow) should be in the mix at some point, Ferrer seems as though he's done enough in camp to win a spot. He offers a fastball that's touched 97 mph along with a changeup and slider, and with Kyle Finnegan potentially headed for a high-leverage fireman role rather than being locked into the ninth inning as a traditional closer, whoever Washington's top bullpen lefty is could see some matchup-dependent save opportunities.

MARCH 15, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Sean Doolittle - High-leverage option when healthy Doolittle (elbow) still hasn't seen Grapefruit League action this spring and won't be ready for Opening Day, but he could be the Nationals' top left-handed option in the bullpen wh...

Impact The veteran southpaw doesn't have a lot of competition for that role left in camp, with journeyman Anthony Banda and minor-leaguers Jose Ferrer and Matt Cronin the only left-handed relievers remaining. Ferrer in particular has been seeing work against big-league hitters early in spring games and could open the season on the 26-man roster, but he has yet to pitch above Double-A in his career. Doolittle is in the final stages of his recovery from UCL surgery performed last July, and while the 36-year-old is no longer the pitcher who racked up 78 saves in 2017-19, if he finds himself as the only lefty in the Nationals' bullpen he would be in line for high-leverage work and potentially even some matchup-dependent save chances.

MARCH 15, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Carl Edwards Jr. - Might be ninth-inning option Edwards could see save chances if Kyle Finnegan gets shifted into a fireman role rather than being used as a traditional closer, Bobby Blanco of MASN reports.

Impact Finnegan still seems likely to see the majority of save chances for the Nationals this season, but there could be saves up for grabs if the right-hander gets the call earlier in games in tight situations. Edwards would be just one of many candidates who could benefit, with Hunter Harvey, Alex Colome, Sean Doolittle (elbow) and Mason Thompson also in the mix depending on matchups and performance. Edwards' reduced velocity was a concern early in camp, but he hasn't allowed an earned run in his last two Grapefruit League appearances with a 3:0 K:BB. The 31-year-old had a solid 2022 campaign in a setup role for the Nats, recording double-digit holds for the first time since 2018.

MARCH 15, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Alex Colomé - Might be saves option Colome could see save chances if Kyle Finnegan gets shifted into a fireman role rather than being used as a traditional closer, Bobby Blanco of MASN reports.

Impact Finnegan still seems likely to see the majority of save chances for the Nationals this season, but there could be saves up for grabs if the right-hander gets the call earlier in games in tight situations. Colome would be just one of many candidates who could benefit, with Hunter Harvey, Sean Doolittle (elbow), Carl Edwards and Mason Thompson also in the mix depending on matchups and performance. Colome has 159 career saves and has the most ninth-inning experience of anyone in the Nats' bullpen, and while his numbers in 2022 with the Rockies weren't pretty, the 34-year-old right-hander did record 17 saves for the Twins in 2021, albeit with a 4.15 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and weak 20.0 percent strikeout rate.

MARCH 15, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Chad Kuhl - Path to rotation opens The Nationals are preparing to have Kuhl be a member of their Opening Day rotation after Cade Cavalli suffered an elbow injury in his Grapefruit League start Tuesday, MASNSports.co...

Impact Washington won't know the full scope of Cavalli's injury until the results of his MRI are read later Wednesday, but given that he's a young pitcher who previously had his 2022 season come to an early end due to shoulder discomfort, he appears to be a good bet to open the season on the injured list even if his upcoming scan reveals no severe setback. The 30-year-old Kuhl made 27 starts for the Rockies last season and posted a 5.72 ERA and 1.55 WHIP in 137 innings, but the Nationals were encouraged enough by his peripheral statistics to bring him aboard on a minor-league deal this winter and are hopeful that the move from the high altitude in Colorado will allow his breaking pitches to play up more. Kuhl has been worked out of the bullpen in three of his four spring appearances to date, but since he covered three innings in his most recent outing Monday, he won't require much time to get stretched out for a starting role.

MARCH 15, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

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Washington Nationals vs. New York Mets - News: Mar 14, 2023

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