Adding onto the excitement for Nationals fans today, #10 ranked prospect Jeremy De La Rosa is starting in left versus the St. Louis Cardinals. Coach Davey Martinez inserting him into the lineup is a bit of a surprise that Nationals fans will gladly accept. Washington added JDLR to their 40-man roster last year to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.
De La Rosa is batting in the ninth spot in the order, where he can be comfortable in his first action against major leaguers. The 21-year-old outfielder had an outstanding season for A Fredericksburg in 2022, hitting .315 with ten home runs and 57 RBIs, according to baseballreference.com. His outstanding play earned him a promotion to A+ Wilmington, but he struggled to find his footing, compiling a .195 average, one home run, and ten RBIs. His season was more than enough to earn protection from the Rule 5 Draft.
Other notables in the lineup include the tandem of CJ Abrams and Luis Garcia at one and two, the middle infielders of the foreseeable future, and Stone Garrett batting fourth, an outfielder who has reportedly had an outstanding spring thus far.
The starting pitcher for today’s game for Washington is Mackenzie Gore. This is the first time Nationals fans will get to see Gore pitch in their uniform, a highly anticipated debut for the left-hander. He’s only expected to throw 20-30 pitches due to the coaching staff easing pitchers into game action.
The first spring training game is exciting for all baseball fans, but Nationals fans have a treat today at 1:00 pm eastern. Catch a glimpse of the future when the Nationals take on the Cardinals.
