Gio Gonzalez returned on Monday from the paternity list after his wife Lea gave birth to their second son, Gabriel Gonzalez, and Gio threw a side-session on Monday and will be starting tonight against the very familiar Miami Marlins.
The Marlins will be starting a left-hander of their own, Adam Conley, who has also faced the Washington Nationals before. Anthony Rendon has a career mark of .444 on Conley and Daniel Murphy is at .667 against him although Murphy will not start tonight.
Washington Nationals manager Dusty Baker has to take inventory of who is healthy as he has many banged up players with Howie Kendrick has a sore back, Daniel Murphy a sore hip, and many players have been going at it without any extra rest days. The plan tonight is for Kendrick to start and Murphy to get another night off.
There is also the situation with AJ Cole who said his lat muscle tightened up on him while he was pitching last night.
The Nationals have been playing with a 4-man bench and Murphy and Matt Wieters both got some rest last night and Adrian Sanchez started while Andrew Stevenson became the primary pinch-hitter last night off of Dusty Baker’s short bench. Daniel Murphy did pinch-hit in the 9th inning as he was the last man standing as Baker did not want to use Howie Kendrick or Wieters.
Miami Marlins vs. Washington Nationals
Stadium: Nationals Park
1st Pitch: 7:05 pm EDT
TV: MASN2, FOX Sports – Florida, MLB.TV
Nats Radio: 106.7 FM The Fan; SiriusXM® Sirius 218 XM 184 (Internet 869)
Line-ups (subject to change without notice):
- Brian Goodwin CF
- Adrian Sanchez 2B
- Bryce Harper RF
- Ryan Zimmerman 1B
- Anthony Rendon 3B
- Matt Wieters C
- Howie Kendrick LF
- Wilmer Difo SS
- Gio Gonzalez LHP
