Matt Freed /Post-Gazette

WASHINGTON — Charlie Morton will start tonight against the Cincinnati Reds because his previous scheduled start, Tuesday against the Washington Nationals, was postponed due to thunderstorms in the forecast.

James McDonald, tonight’s scheduled starter, will start Thursday. Everyone in the rotation will be pushed back a day.

“He’s thrown his sides, he’s stayed in the regimens as much as you control in your regimen,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said of Morton.

Morton said he would play catch Tuesday and throw a few pitches off the mound.

“I’ll look at the video from my last start, watch the same stuff I watched before my start, watch some games that have been played since then, just to try to get a feel for what they’re doing. I was preparing for Washington, but there’s still plenty of time.”

Morton threw a complete game against the Reds April 15, allowing one run on five hits. He is 4-1 this season with a 3.13 ERA and has allowed six combined earned runs in his past three starts.

His previous start, May 12 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, was postponed after two innings. He allowed one run.

“This is kind of weird,” he said of the weather toying with two starts in a row.

McCutchen a short reliever

Hurdle said Daniel McCutchen, formerly the bullpen’s long reliever, switched to a shorter role. Chris Resop will assume more of the long relief duties.

“We really don’t have a long guy,” Hurdle said. “For a couple innings, he’s definitely capable of throwing two innings.”

Resop has struggled recently, allowing nine earned runs in his past seven appearances.

“We’re going to try to give him an opportunity to make more pitches, to throw more pitches, to get back on track,” Hurdle said.

McCutchen has an 0.53 ERA and has allowed one earned run in 17 innings.

“With the way he’s pitched, he’s got much better production out of that role,” Hurdle said. “He’s pitched higher-leverage innings, he’s done well.”

Wood’s aggressive play

Brandon Wood, who was called out at third base in the fourth inning of Monday’s 4-2 loss to the Nationals trying to take an extra base on Chris Snyder‘s single, said the call could have gone either way.

Snyder singled to center field with Wood on first, and Nationals center fielder Roger Bernadina threw Wood out at third.

“I checked out the replay,” he said. “The center fielder, he got behind it pretty good. I thought he had some direction going into right field but he got behind it and made a good throw.

“A little too aggressive.”

Buried treasure

? In his past four games, Andrew McCutchen is 5 for 13 with a double, 2 triples, 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored.

? Tuesday’s game was the Pirates’ fourth postponed due to weather this season. That’s the most since 2004, when 11 games were postponed. Four of those postponements also happened before May 18.

? Morton has recorded 77.4 percent of his outs with ground balls, the highest percentage in the Majors.

First published on May 18, 2011 at 12:00 am

Matt Freed /Post-Gazette

WASHINGTON — Charlie Morton will start tonight against the Cincinnati Reds because his previous scheduled start, Tuesday against the Washington Nationals, was postponed due to thunderstorms in the forecast.

James McDonald, tonight’s scheduled starter, will start Thursday. Everyone in the rotation will be pushed back a day.

“He’s thrown his sides, he’s stayed in the regimens as much as you control in your regimen,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said of Morton.

Morton said he would play catch Tuesday and throw a few pitches off the mound.

“I’ll look at the video from my last start, watch the same stuff I watched before my start, watch some games that have been played since then, just to try to get a feel for what they’re doing. I was preparing for Washington, but there’s still plenty of time.”

Morton threw a complete game against the Reds April 15, allowing one run on five hits. He is 4-1 this season with a 3.13 ERA and has allowed six combined earned runs in his past three starts.

His previous start, May 12 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, was postponed after two innings. He allowed one run.

“This is kind of weird,” he said of the weather toying with two starts in a row.

McCutchen a short reliever

Hurdle said Daniel McCutchen, formerly the bullpen’s long reliever, switched to a shorter role. Chris Resop will assume more of the long relief duties.

“We really don’t have a long guy,” Hurdle said. “For a couple innings, he’s definitely capable of throwing two innings.”

Resop has struggled recently, allowing nine earned runs in his past seven appearances.

“We’re going to try to give him an opportunity to make more pitches, to throw more pitches, to get back on track,” Hurdle said.

McCutchen has an 0.53 ERA and has allowed one earned run in 17 innings.

“With the way he’s pitched, he’s got much better production out of that role,” Hurdle said. “He’s pitched higher-leverage innings, he’s done well.”

Wood’s aggressive play

Brandon Wood, who was called out at third base in the fourth inning of Monday’s 4-2 loss to the Nationals trying to take an extra base on Chris Snyder‘s single, said the call could have gone either way.

Snyder singled to center field with Wood on first, and Nationals center fielder Roger Bernadina threw Wood out at third.

“I checked out the replay,” he said. “The center fielder, he got behind it pretty good. I thought he had some direction going into right field but he got behind it and made a good throw.

“A little too aggressive.”

Buried treasure

? In his past four games, Andrew McCutchen is 5 for 13 with a double, 2 triples, 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored.

? Tuesday’s game was the Pirates’ fourth postponed due to weather this season. That’s the most since 2004, when 11 games were postponed. Four of those postponements also happened before May 18.

? Morton has recorded 77.4 percent of his outs with ground balls, the highest percentage in the Majors.

First published on May 18, 2011 at 12:00 am

The Washington Nationals’ game against the Pittsburgh Pirates has been postponed by rain.

The Nationals announced the postponement more than three hours before Tuesday’s scheduled first pitch.

The team said a makeup date will be announced in the coming days. Tuesday’s game was supposed to be the second of a two-game series.

The scheduled starting pitchers for Tuesday’s game were Washington’s Jordan Zimmermann and Pittsburgh’s Charlie Morton.

Washington is scheduled to play at the New York Mets Wednesday, while Pittsburgh is at the Cincinnati Reds.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Washington Nationals’ game against the Pittsburgh Pirates has been postponed by rain.

The Nationals announced the postponement more than three hours before Tuesday’s scheduled first pitch.

The team said a makeup date will be announced in the coming days. Tuesday’s game was supposed to be the second of a two-game series.

The scheduled starting pitchers for Tuesday’s game were Washington’s Jordan Zimmermann and Pittsburgh’s Charlie Morton.

Washington is scheduled to play at the New York Mets on Wednesday, while Pittsburgh is at the Cincinnati Reds.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

WASHINGTON – The Washington Nationals’ game against the Pittsburgh Pirates has been postponed by rain.

The Nationals announced the postponement more than three hours before Tuesday’s scheduled first pitch.

The team said a makeup date will be announced in the coming days. Tuesday’s game was supposed to be the second of a two-game series.

The scheduled starting pitchers for Tuesday’s game were Washington’s Jordan Zimmermann and Pittsburgh’s Charlie Morton.

Washington is scheduled to play at the New York Mets on Wednesday, while Pittsburgh is at the Cincinnati Reds.

Read More: Ryan Zimmerman (3B – WAS), Washington Nationals

The Washington Nationals have hung in there despite Ryan Zimmerman’s injury. Soon, they will get to see just how good they can be with their slugger in the lineup. Zimmerman is expected to resume baseball activities on Tuesday, according to CSN Washington’s Mark Zuckerman. He will have a short stint in the minor leagues before coming back to the Majors.

Zimmerman went on the disabled list on April 9 after re-aggravating an abdominal strain while sliding into second base. He could have been activated on Sunday, but the Nationals didn’t believe he was ready. Instead, the team will evaluate his throwing on Tuesday at Nationals Park and determine the best course of action. 

The Nationals are 10-10 this season despite playing most of the time without Zimmerman. It stands to reason that they should improve with Zimmerman back in the lineup. Then again, Zimmerman is just one piece, and the other pieces could surely fall off. 

By: AP Photo/Jeff Roberson

Baseball fans seek shelter as tornado sirens sound before a baseball game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Washington Nationals on Tuesday, April 19, 2011, in St. Louis.

The Washington Nationals are off to a nice start, above .500 for the first time in nearly a year. It would mean a little more with a few more games on their record.
After a severe storm postponed Tuesday night’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals, the Nationals were 8-7 with five days off. Three were scheduled and two came by way of rainouts.
“It’s too many off days,” manager Jim Riggleman said. “That’s the thing about scheduled off days, you know you’re going to get some rain in April.
“Five or six days of no baseball, it’s certainly not ideal but we’re making the adjustment to it.”
Tornado sirens sounded, rain mixed with hail was coming down in buckets and lightning kept everyone on their toes during Tuesday night’s storm. Riggleman did the wise thing while waiting out the lengthy delay, avoiding the dugout.
“I didn’t even go out there when it was pouring,” Riggleman said. “I guess it was horrendous. Guys were coming in saying they’d never seen anything like it.”
A day-night doubleheader was set for Wednesday. It’ll be the Nationals’ second doubleheader in three days, coming off a sweep of Brewers at home on Sunday.
At 8-7, the Nationals have a winning record for the first time since they were 25-24 on May 28, 2010.
This was the Cardinals’ first rainout at home since May 15, 2009, against the Brewers. It’s only the sixth rainout in six seasons at Busch Stadium.
“It was rough,” Cardinals third baseman David Freese said. “The way the news was portraying the weather, you don’t really see that too much. It just kept raining.”
Both teams stayed on their rotation, with Tuesday’s scheduled starters John Lannan and Jake Westbrook going in the first game and Jordan Zimmermann opposing Jaime Garcia in the second game.
“The weather is the weather, that’s something you can’t control,” Westbrook said. “I prepared for my start today and it didn’t happen. I’ll just do it all over again tomorrow.”
Riggleman said he’d alter his lineup for the opener, inserting Ivan Rodriguez at catcher with Wilson Ramos playing in the second game.
“No particular reason for that,” Riggleman said. “I might do some other things.”
The game was called after a delay of 2 hours and 21 minutes. Based on forecasts, the Cardinals announced 20 minutes before the scheduled first pitch that it would not begin on time.
“Mother Nature, you can hang with it for a while,” Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. “Nobody likes playing a day-night doubleheader, but you’ve got to do it.”
Heavy rain reached Busch Stadium about 20 minutes after the scheduled 7:15 p.m. start. Hail came down so hard some small cubes pounded through the roof and into a back aisle of the press box.
Thousands of fans stayed in their seats even after a tornado warning siren sounded, then sprinted up the aisles to relative safety.
NOTES: Washington’s starting pitchers have worked at least five innings in every game. … Washington hasn’t committed an error in its last three games, winning all three. … Lance Berkman is 6 for 13 with two RBIs against Lannan. … Westbrook has surrendered eight runs in the fifth inning his first three starts. … The Cardinals are 14-4 against the Nationals at new Busch. … Albert Pujols batted .429 against Washington last season with two homers and three RBIs.

VIERA, Fla. – Carlos Beltran looks ready for opening day.

The All-Star outfielder, bothered by both knees this spring, got a hit and made a nice, sliding catch Tuesday as the New York Mets beat the Washington Nationals 8-2.

“I feel good,” Beltran said after going 1 for 3. “I feel like I had good at-bats and was able to see a lot of pitches.”

The game marked Beltran’s first appearance in a major league exhibition since he was the designated hitter three weeks ago. Assuming he gets through Wednesday’s final spring training game against the Marlins, he should be set to go when the Mets open the season Friday night at Florida.

“I thought he looked great and it was tremendous seeing him back in the lineup,” Mets manager Terry Collins said. “It makes a huge difference in our lineup with him hitting fourth.”

Beltran delivered a first-inning single, but the real indication of his health came in the bottom of the fourth, when he came sliding in toward the right-field line to snag a sinking liner by Jerry Hairston Jr.

“Yeah, it was a good play, but at the same time … there are going to be plays where I have to slide,” Beltran said. “I have to do it. I can’t protect anything. I have to go for it and try to catch the ball.”

The Mets are counting on that. They moved the three-time Gold Glove winner from center field to right in part because of the emergence of Angel Pagan in center field, but also to protect Beltran’s surgically-repaired right knee and his troublesome left knee, which has tendinitis.

Beltran recently took part in a simulated game and played in two minor league games. The 33-year-old was happy to be around his teammates and playing against major league competition.

“It’s more energy, for sure,” Beltran said. “Going and playing in the minor leagues it’s boring, honestly.”

The Mets’ joy of Beltran’s return was tempered by the news that left fielder Jason Bay felt discomfort in his left rib cage during batting practice Tuesday and was scratched from the lineup. Bay returned to Port St. Lucie to be examined by team doctors. The Mets will have until Thursday to decide whether or not to put him on the disabled list.

“At this particular time, we have to be very cautious, because I dont want to lose this guy for a month.” Collins said.

Washington, meanwhile, was able to get through the spring without any major health concerns.

The Nationals won five of their last seven games and finished 15-14 this spring. Manager Jim Riggleman cited the emergence of Michael Morse as the starter in left field and Rick Ankiel in center as two of the team’s biggest accomplishments in preparation for this season.

“I feel real good about the ballclub,” Riggleman said. “I’m anxious to see how good we can pitch with this athleticism behind us. That’s going to be huge as to how good we can be. I feel we’ll have a good offensive ballclub, but … everybody goes through periods where you’re just not getting it done offensively for a few days.”

NOTES: Nationals starter RHP Jordan Zimmermann only went three innings and threw 32 pitches in the second inning alone, giving up four earned runs. He said he was rushing himself too much. … Washington reliever Drew Storen had a poor outing in his final spring appearance. He gave up four runs on seven hits and threw 35 pitches in just two-thirds of an inning. … Nationals LHP Sean Burnett threw a scoreless inning. He did not give up a run in 9 1-3 innings this spring. … Nationals 1B Adam LaRoche hit a solo home run in the fourth. C Ivan Rodriguez played two innings at first base. … Mets LHP Pat Misch has cleared waivers and has been outrighted to the minor leagues. He is expected to accept the assignment.

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Houston manager Brad Mills is impressed with his team’s ability to rally.

Anderson Hernandez capped a five-run ninth inning with a game-ending RBI single, giving the Houston Astros an 8-7 victory over the Washington Nationals Wednesday.

“I don’t put a lot of importance in winning games but in how we play them. … The quality at-bats we had today enabled us to come back the way we did,” Mills said. “Anytime you’re able to do that it feels good, and it’s happened to us three or four times this spring.”

Hernandez’s hit off Tyler Clippard followed extra-base hits by Drew Locke, Brandon Barnes and Brian Bogusevic after Clippard started the big inning with two walks. The Astros had only five hits when they came up in the ninth, down 7-3.

“He threw so many balls, I just waited for a fastball because I knew he was going to throw a strike,” Hernandez said of Clippard, who appeared in 78 games for the Nationals last season.

Nyjer Morgan’s three-run homer helped the Nationals take a 6-3 lead against Houston starter Brett Myers, and Wilson Ramos added a home run for the Nationals in the eighth.

Myers gave up six runs in five innings.

“I’m not too concerned about it because I had a lot more first-pitch strikes than last time,” said Myers, who threw 61 of his 83 pitches for strikes. “It’s not necessarily about pitch selection for me right now, it’s about repeating and hitting spots.”

Washington played a second straight game without third baseman Ryan Zimmerman and catcher Ivan Rodriguez, who are out with minor injuries.

“If it was a regular-season game, they’d be paying. We’re really going to watch it close, try not to let it fester,” said Washington manager Jim Riggleman.

The Astros scored three runs off Washington starter Ross Detwiler, who pitched three innings.

NOTES: Astros left-hander Wandy Rodriguez, scratched from his Tuesday start due to mild shoulder tendinitis, will throw a side session Friday and then be evaluated . . . Mills said he will soon name his opening day starter, which will almost certainly be Myers. Roy Oswalt has started the Astros’ last eight season openers.

VIERA, Fla. — Don’t try to claim in 20 years that you were sitting in the stands of Space Coast Stadium the day Bryce Harper got his first spring hit for those ever-grateful Washington Nationals. If you do, we promise we’ll be crying baloney, unless you save your ticket stub — and laminate it.

OK, not that there were NO witnesses sitting in those stands Tuesday, when Harper roped a single to left off a Mets pitcher by the name of Pedro Beato. We’ll acknowledge that.

The box score will tell you that Bryce Harper got that hit in front of 2,658 actual spectators. What it won’t tell you is that he also got that hit in front of 4,542 empty seats, on a rainy Tuesday afternoon in March.

So if you were looking for a word to describe that hit, “magical” probably wouldn’t do it. And “electric?” Nope, not quite. Not for those eyewitnesses — and not for the phenom who got the hit, either.

Asked if he kept the baseball, Harper gave it one of those “what-did-I-do?” shakes of the head.

“I don’t have it,” he said. “I could care less. I was just real happy to get it out of the way today.”

And why not? It was, after all, just spring training. And even more than that, it was just The Beginning.

We don’t know exactly where the first pick in the whole darned 2010 draft is heading. But wherever it is, it’s a place where the hits will be a lot more meaningful than this one, where the stats will count and where the stands will (hopefully) be rocking.

So we watch Bryce Harper’s present closely — more closely, certainly, than we’ll be watching any other 18-year-old player who slips on a uniform this spring. But it’s his future that really draws us in, makes us hang on every wave of his bat, even in a mostly empty ballpark in one of Florida’s least-populated spring-training towns.

He ought to be a senior in high school right now. But here he is, playing baseball in a major-league uniform in a major-league spring-training game, as the veteran baseball men around him drop mind-boggling names on us as they struggle to think of any young player in history who compares to him.

Just a quick list of the names we heard mentioned Tuesday would go like this: Mickey Mantle, Al Kaline, Darryl Strawbery, Ken Griffey Jr., A-Rod and even Clint Hurdle.

If Bryce Harper turns into any of them — or even 75 percent of any of them — he’s going to be one of the biggest stars of his generation. But the truth is, none of those names would really be a perfect comparison because, in many ways, there has never been a phenom like this.

“There’s no blueprint for it,” said Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo on Tuesday. “We’re breaking new ground here. And every day is something different.”

Oh, other players have burst through the spring-training gates as 18-year-olds, reached the big leagues as teenagers, popped our eyeballs before they were old enough to watch themselves play in a sports bar. But they weren’t players who lived out this story:

They didn’t make the cover of Sports Illustrated at age 16. They didn’t skip their final TWO years of high school and go off to slug .987, with 31 homers, in a wood-bat college league the next year. They didn’t then move on to hit .343 in the Arizona Fall League, despite being the second-youngest player in the history of the league.

But Bryce Harper has done all that. And that was just his warm-up act — for this, and for everything that’s to come once he figures it all out. Which ought to be in, oh, about the next 15 minutes or so.

“He’s incredibly talented,” Rizzo went on, “with a unique skill set at such an early age. So like I said, we’re breaking new ground here.”

The GM is aware there are baseball fans roaming the streets of Viera, and Alexandria, and lots of other places, debating whether Harper is going to make this team’s Opening Day roster. But those fans should know right now that the ground Bryce Harper is breaking isn’t going to be THAT new.

In truth, he appears ticketed for Hagerstown, Md., of the not-so-exotic Class A South Atlantic League, because “he needs a foundation in the minor leagues,” Rizzo said, where he can learn all about the “every-day-ness of the professional game.” And neither the general manager nor the manager, Jim Riggleman, can imagine themselves wavering from that plan.

Riggleman can still recall, however, that exactly 10 springs ago, he was coaching first base for the Dodgers when the first baseman for the Cardinals back then — a fellow named Mark McGwire — began buzzing to him about a kid out of A-ball who was tearing up his team’s camp.

That kid was Albert Pujols. And you know how that turned out.

“I remember McGwire telling me, ‘You won’t believe this kid. He’s GOTTA make our team,’ ” Riggleman reminisced Tuesday. “Now I think Tony [La Russa] was in complete control of that decision. But he had guys like McGwire helping him with his tough decision.”

Well, it’s not impossible that before this camp is out, Riggleman could have a veteran player or two giving him the same advice. But those players should know right now that just about nothing Bryce Harper could do this spring is going to propel him into the lineup at Nationals Park on Opening Day.

Then again, now that he’s actually gotten a hit, who knows?

For the record, that hit came in Harper’s second game of the spring, 24 hours after a debut that wasn’t quite what anyone had in mind. In two at-bats Monday at Port St. Lucie, Harper didn’t just go 0 for 2. He went 0 for 2, with two strikeouts — on a total of seven pitches.

But he breezed into the clubhouse Tuesday morning as if it was just another day at the yard. And Nationals bench coach John McLaren sized him up and pronounced: “That won’t faze him a bit.”

Bingo.

“When I went home [Monday] I started laughing about it,” Harper said. “Talked to my dad a little bit about it. … That was yesterday. Today’s today. And tomorrow’s tomorrow.”

Harper did admit to watching those at-bats on video Tuesday morning, comparing them to his swing in the Arizona Fall League and making some minor adjustments with his hands. But he repeated: “I’m not worried about yesterday. I had two K’s, and I could really care less. We won the ball game, and I felt good out there.”

“

He’s incredibly talented, with a unique skill set at such an early age. So like I said, we’re breaking new ground here.

” – Nationals general manager
Mike Rizzo on Bryce Harper

So when the bottom of the fifth inning arrived Tuesday, out he popped into the on-deck circle, where he featured some ferocious practice hacks as he waited for Ian Desmond to complete his at-bat.

Desmond then flied out, and here came The Phenom, pinch-hitting for some guy named Jayson Werth, as 2,600 fans stirred to life.

Harper took a first-pitch fastball for a ball, stepped out for a quick scoop of dirt, then dug back in. He tapped his bat on the outside corner, then the inside corner, waved his bat, rocked in the box.

Beato came back with a second fastball, up and away. And Harper just flicked it to left, into the open outfield spaces, and into the memory banks.

For years now, you’ve been hearing baseball men wax on poetically about Harper’s massive power. But this was a stroke that, in its own way, said as much about him as any 485-foot home run.

“That’s not an easy ball to get on top of,” Riggleman said. “He’s shown that stroke quite a bit, through the fall and in batting practice here. That’s a great stroke, to get on top of a high fastball. You know, people always talk about ‘Get the ball down.’ But there’s an area up that’s very tough to get on top of. You’ve got to be a good hitter to get on top of a good high fastball. And he did it there.”

But who was the least-impressed human being in Viera, Fla., by that swing? Guess who.

“It was a good pitch to drive,” said Bryce Harper, after a day in which he went 1 for 2, barreled into second on an aggressive takeout slide and nearly threw out a runner at the plate. “It was up. And a fastball up and away is always a good pitch to hit. Well, for me it is.”

He doesn’t exactly lack for confidence, in case you hadn’t noticed. And that’s not a bad thing, either, in a case like this. As Nationals senior advisor Davey Johnson put it, “I always say, it helps to be cocky.”

Once upon a time, more than a quarter-century ago, Johnson was managing the Mets when another No. 1 pick in the draft, Darryl Strawberry, rocketed into the big leagues, amid similar hoopla. And a month later, Strawberry found himself hitting .163, because “he was trying to do too much,” Johnson said, “like he was trying to live up to his press clippings.”

But Johnson can’t envision Bryce Harper worrying about any of that. And let’s just say he’s not alone.

Asked Tuesday how conscious he was of being watched by the world, of being That Guy, Harper replied, coolly: “I’ve been That Guy my whole life. So I’m not going to change. Nothing’s going to change — unless I have a bad five years. Then I guess it’ll all change. But I’ve got a lot of good guys around me who really help me out, who take all the pressure off me.”

And as those guys around him watch him do his thing, he amazes them, too.

“I would have a hard time being in his position,” said closer Drew Storen. “I was telling him, ‘I was a junior in high school when I was your age.’

“You know,” Storen said, “it would be really easy for a guy with that talent to just kind of stroll around and lollygag. But if you saw the way he [tried to break up] that double play, it’s pretty unbelievable.”

Then again, Harper’s whole story is pretty unbelievable. A year ago, when Stephen Strasburg was the Nationals phenom in exactly the same position, you got the sense there were still some worries about how he’d adjust to the every-day demands of professional baseball. But in Harper’s case, Rizzo predicted, assuredly: “That works perfectly with his mindset.”

And the guy responsible for that mindset exudes that same assurance.

For most 18-year-olds, a day like this — the day he got his first hit in a big-league uniform — would be an unforgettable milestone. But not for Bryce Harper.

Asked if this was something he’d waited for his whole life, he merely smiled.

“Uh, maybe not THIS,” he said. “I’m waiting for major league baseball, for the day I go to the big leagues.”

Well, that day might not arrive at the end of this month. It might not even arrive before the end of this year. But he’s the kind of player a franchise like this dreams about. And unless everyone who’s ever seen this player is wrong, the day those dreams come true draws closer every day.

“That time will go off the calendar more quickly than anyone thinks. And then,” said Jim Riggleman, “he’ll be here.”

Jayson Stark is a senior writer for ESPN.com. His latest book, “Worth The Wait: Tales of the 2008 Phillies,” was published by Triumph Books and is available in bookstores and online. Click here to order a copy.

By: AP Photo/David J. Phillip

Washington Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper smiles as he talks with teammates before the start of a spring training baseball workout Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2011, in Viera, Fla.

Top draft pick Bryce Harper is to make his spring training debut Monday when the Washington Nationals visit the New York Mets in Port St. Lucie for their spring training opener.

Nationals manager Jim Riggleman said he expects the 18-year-old Harper will get at least one at-bat in the game.

“I’m hoping that he kind of blends in,” Riggleman said. “I’m not looking for him to excel against major league pitching.”

Harper is learning a new position, moving from catcher to the outfield. Nationals outfielder Jerry Hairston said it will take time to make the adjustment.

“He’s got a good head on his shoulders,” Hairston said. “We’ve talked a little bit. He’s a humble guy. He realizes what’s going on. I’m sure everybody’s excited about watching him play. He’s a great talent. It’s a spring training game. I know he’s going to be a little excited.”

Jayson Werth, who signed to a $126 million, seven-year contract with Washington in the offseason, will not make the trip. Neither will All-Star third baseman Ryan Zimmerman and first baseman Adam LaRoche. Their debuts likely will come Tuesday or Wednesday when Washington hosts the Mets and the Florida Marlins.

Chad Gaudin will pitch the first game for Washington on Monday. Livan Hernandez throws Tuesday and John Lannan goes Wednesday.

VIERA, Fla. — Top draft pick Bryce Harper will make his spring debut Monday when the Washington Nationals visit the Mets in Port St. Lucie for their spring training opener.

Nationals manager Jim Riggleman said he expects the 18-year-old Harper will get at least one at-bat in the game.

Jayson Werth, who signed a seven-year, $126 million free agent contract with Washington in the offseason, will not make the trip. Neither will All-Star third baseman Ryan Zimmerman and another free agent addition, first baseman Adam LaRoche. Their debuts likely will come Tuesday or Wednesday when Washington hosts the Mets and the Florida Marlins in Viera.

Chad Gaudin will pitch the first game for Washington on Monday. Livan Hernandez throws Tuesday and John Lannan goes Wednesday.

VIERA, Fla. – Top draft pick Bryce Harper will make his spring debut Monday when the Washington Nationals visit the New York Mets in Port St. Lucie for their spring training opener.

Nationals manager Jim Riggleman said he expects the 18-year-old Harper will get at least one at-bat in the game.

Jayson Werth, who signed a seven-year, $126 million free agent contract with Washington in the offseason, will not make the trip. Neither will All-Star third baseman Ryan Zimmerman and another free agent addition, first baseman Adam LaRoche. Their debuts likely will come Tuesday or Wednesday when Washington hosts the Mets and the Florida Marlins in Viera.

Chad Gaudin will pitch the first game for Washington on Monday. Livan Hernandez throws Tuesday and John Lannan goes Wednesday.