Dan Haren makes his Washington Nationals debut tonight at Great America Ballpark which means he may be in trouble. Haren struggled this Spring, especially in the long ball department in the Florida winds. But, it was Spring Training. Veterans who struggle in Spring Training are either working on something or falling off of the cliff. Haren will show tonight which side he was on. Of course, it is only one start so we should be cautious in what we think about Haren.
Mar 26, 2013; Jupiter, FL, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher Dan Haren (15) throws in the second inning during a spring training game against the Miami Marlins at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
For the Cincinnati Reds, it is Homer Bailey starting who has held the Nationals hitters on the roster to a .167 average (5/30). Bailey is probably poised for a breakout this season, and the Reds need him to shore up the back end of their rotation now that Aroldis Chapman is back to the bullpen.
Kurt Suzuki checks in for the Nationals at catcher as Wilson Ramos rests with day games the next two days. That is the only lineup change for the Nationals.
Onto the lineups:
Washington Nationals vs RHP Homer Bailey
Denard Span (L) CF
Jayson Werth (R) RF
Bryce Harper (L) LF
Ryan Zimmerman (R) 3B
Adam LaRoche (L) 1B
Ian Desmond (R) SS
Danny Espinosa (S) 2B
Kurt Suzuki (R) C
Dan Haren (R) P
Cincinnati Reds vs RHP Dan Haren
Shin-Soo Choo (L) CF
Chris Heisey (R) LF
Joey Votto (L) 1B
Brandon Phillips (R) 2B
Jay Bruce (L) RF
Todd Frazier (R) 3B
Zack Cozart (R) SS
Ryan Hanigan (R) C
Homer Bailey (R) P