Washington Nationals vs. St. Louis Cardinals - News - March 12, 2023

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Willson Contreras - Settling in with new team Contreras is hitting .250 with one double, one RBI and six strikeouts over six Grapefruit League games.

Impact Contreras stayed in camp rather than going to the World Baseball Classic to get to know the pitcher on his new team. The catcher signed a five-year deal in December to become the Cardinals' new No. 1 backstop after the retirement of Yadier Molina. Contreras won't enjoy the friendly confines of Wrigley Field as often as he used to, but he's a four-time 20-homer hitter and should continue to return solid numbers at a position where those are scarce.

MARCH 13, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Wilking Rodriguez - Pitching well in spring Rodriguez has allowed one earned run, three hits and one walk while striking out three over five innings across five Grapefruit League appearances.

Impact The Cardinals scooped up Rodriguez in the Rule 5 draft this fall, and his work early in spring training is giving him a shot of sticking in the majors. His only other experience in the majors was in 2014 with the Royals, and he logged just two innings. He spent most of the time between 2015 and 2022 in foreign leagues before signing with the Yankees last August. The 33-year-old right-hander will probably be a low-leverage reliever if he breaks camp with the Cardinals.

MARCH 13, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Victor Robles - Could rejoin lineup Tuesday Manager Dave Martinez said Robles (knee) could return to the Nationals' Grapefruit League lineup as soon as Tuesday versus the Mets, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.

Impact According to Martinez, Robles is scheduled to go through all baseball activities Monday, an indication that the bruised left knee he sustained last Wednesday isn't a major concern. The Nationals will likely wait and see how Robles feels when he reports to camp Tuesday before deciding whether he's fit to play later that day.

MARCH 13, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Joey Meneses - Plays hero for Team Mexico Meneses went 3-for-5 with two home runs and five RBI in Sunday's 11-5 win for Team Mexico over Team USA.

Impact After staking Mexico to an early 2-0 lead with a blast off Nick Martinez in the first inning, Meneses put the game out of reach with a three-run shot in the fourth off Brady Singer. Both homers came off his bat with exit velocities above 102 mph, per Jesse Borek of MLB.com. Meneses didn't do much at the plate during Grapefruit League play before the WBC began, going 4-for-20 with zero extra-base hits, but Sunday's performance is a reminder that the power he displayed at the end of the 2022 season is very real. The 30-year-old is set to fill an everyday role in the majors this year for the first time in his career, seeing most of his action at DH for the Nationals while also spotting in at first base and potentially in the outfield corners once again.

MARCH 13, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

MacKenzie Gore - Shaky outing Sunday Gore allowed four runs on four hits and two walks over four innings while striking out three in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.

Impact Facing a lineup of St. Louis prospects and bench players, Gore didn't seem to be fooling many people at the plate -- three of the four hits off the southpaw went for extra bases, including a Kramer Robertson homer -- as he gave up a pair of runs in each of his first two frames before settling down. The fact that he did battle through and deliver two clean innings before exiting is encouraging though, and Gore finished his day having thrown 65 pitches (38 strikes). The 24-year-old appears close to ready for Opening Day, but his biggest hurdle in 2023 will be to simply stay healthy and take a regular turn in the rotation -- Gore tossed 87 innings across all levels last year, and his career high for innings is only 101, a mark he set in 2019 between High-A and Double-A in the Padres system.

MARCH 13, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

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Washington Nationals vs. St. Louis Cardinals - News: Mar 12, 2023

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Joey Meneses cranks a two-run homer as Mexico takes a 2-0 lead over the USA