From James and Kristine Bell:
Mark,
Watched the game last night and Patterson's fastball was 86 MPH for the first two innings and in the 3rd he got it to 87 MPH only once.....What is the deal, we have been told all camp that his fastball is back.....I would have expected him to hit 92 MPH or more if he was truly back to 2005 form. What are you seeing in camp and what are people saying off the record?
Mark Zuckerman:
You are correct that Patterson's fastball was clocked between 85-87 mph last night. But the team and John knew that would be the case going in. I know I and others have been writing that Patterson is healthy again and throwing with full extension. But that doesn't mean he's gained his velocity back. The club expects that to happen over time. It could be weeks, it could be months. They're not concerned right now, they're simply happy John is throwing pain-free.

From Lamont Parker:
Are we only going to have one lefty (Ray King) in the bullpen? I'm assuming Chico will go to the bullpen or triple-A.
Mark Zuckerman:
Yes, there will almost certainly be only one lefty in the pen, and Ray King will be that guy. Chico most definitely is not a bullpen candidate. He and John Lannan are starters and will only make the club if they're starting. The way things look now, both Lannan and Chico are longshots to make it, especially if the Nats only go with four starters for the first two weeks of the year (Patterson, Perez, Redding, Bergmann) and then hope Shawn Hill is ready at that point. If something else happens, then either Lannan or Chico could win a job.

From Tom P. in Burlington, Ontario:
Hi, Mark. Any list of potential starters I see doesn't include Mike O'Connor's name. Is there a reason for that? What are his chances of making the rotation? Thanks.
Mark Zuckerman:
O'Connor has impressed people this spring -- though he's walked the first two batters of this game and allowed three stolen bases -- but he's not big-league material at the moment. After elbow surgery in 2006, he struggled mightily at Harrisburg in 2007. That's probably where he'll start 2008, though at least the Nats know he can be an option down the road if something happens.

From Screech's Best Friend in Alexandria:
Where are the Nationals in the starting catching department? Will injuries to LoDuca and Estrada, the trading of Schneider force Flores onto the roster in a position he might not be ready? Not hearing much about this developing situation. Is the team possibly in trouble at this position?
Mark Zuckerman:
It's something we've been watching closely all spring, but the situation does appear to be improving. Lo Duca has been taking BP and probably will be ready to play in a game by the end of the week. Estrada appears to be farther away, and that could affect the Opening Night roster. If he can't go, Flores could be an option (but only if he's going to play 3-5 days a week. If not, look for either Wil Nieves or Humberto Cota to be the No. 2 catcher until Estrada is ready.

From Mike in Quantico:
Mark: Any chance the outfield works out Pena, Milledge, Kearns with Maxwell and Dukes as the 4th and 5th? It probably would be better for Maxwell to be in AA or AAA but the guy is already 24 and this might be as good as it gets for him.
Mark Zuckerman:
Sorry, but Justin Maxwell was optioned to Harrisburg the other day. Yes, he is 24, older than most prospects at that level, but the Nats still like him a lot. Remember, he only played at Class A last year before his September cup of coffee in the bigs. The guy looks like he could be a real player, but give it another year or two.

From NatsFan in Centreville:
With Nick Johnson getting healthier, Dmitri Young still in playing condition, and Aaron Boone signed to the team, what are the Nats planning to do with their Rule 5 draft pick, Matt Whitney?
Mark Zuckerman:
Whitney has looked good this spring, but his chances of making the club are almost nonexistent, unless something unusual happens in the next two weeks. The Nats simply have too many 1B-3B guys on the roster already. But I wouldn't be surprised if Jim Bowden tries to work out a deal with the Indians (Whitney's old club) and Twins (Garrett Guzman's old club) that allows both guys to remain in the Washington farm system.

From Mr. Madison in New Carrollton:
Here is a slightly odd question: Just outta curiosity, just how many people do you guys have assigned to covering the Nationals this year, who are they, and what are their roles on the coverage team?
Mark Zuckerman:
Not an odd question at all, and I'm glad you asked because it allows me to again introduce our newest staffer: Ben Goessling, who just arrived this week. Ben will be working with me all season as the two beat writers covering the Nats. We'll both cover every home game, and one of us will be on the road (I'll probably cover about 55 road games, he'll have 25 or so). We also have the esteemed Thom Loverro (who was filling in as a temporary beat writer until Ben arrived) writing columns as always. And various other staffers will float in here and there to help out (like Redskins writer Ryan O'Halloran, who was at the Daytona 500 last month and stopped over here for a couple days). All together, I'd argue that we have the deepest team of writers and the most comprehensive coverage of the Nats in town.

From Power Boater in Alexandria:
What do you see happening with Lopez? He is being paid too much to be a back-up, but he's not even close to beating out Guzman or Belliard for one of the starting spots. Does he have any trade value, do the Nats waive him, or do we let him sit on the bench for a while and hope his hitting rebounds back to the level of his all-star days?
Mark Zuckerman:
It's a tough question, because there doesn't seem to be a right answer. I think the Nats would trade Felipe Lopez if they got a decent offer for him, but I don't see other teams lining up to acquire him. Personally, I don't think he gives you much off the bench and probably wouldn't have the right mental makeup for that kind of role. Which leads me to this conclusion: I think Lopez will be the starting 2B on Opening Night, with Belliard (who has been a role player in the past) coming off the bench.

IN-GAME UPDATE: We're through two innings here, Dodgers leading 2-0 even though they don't have a hit. They took advantage of Mike O'Connor's wildness (two walks to open the game), three stolen bases and Humberto Cota's passed ball to score twice in the first. O'Connor has settled down since and retired six straight. Nothing doing offensively yet against L.A.'s Chad Billingsley: an Alex Escobar walk and an Aaron Boone hit-by-pitch.

From Bob in Fairfax:
Could the Nats really go to Opening Day with a starting rotation of 4? We all know that, much as we like him, John Patterson is a bit "delicate"--how would pitching on short rest in Spring Training affect his ability to handle an Opening Day start? He didn't do so well last year.
Mark Zuckerman:
Yes, I expect the Nats to start the season with a four-man rotation. But before you panic, it's not that big a deal. Because of two off-days in the first two weeks, they won't really need a fifth starter til April 13. The only catch: The Nos. 3 and 4 starters would have to come back on short rest the first time. I don't see that being an issue, because right now that looks like it will be some combination of Odalis Perez, Tim Redding or Jason Bergmann. Patterson is slated to pitch the second game of the year and then come back on normal rest (though I suppose it's still possible he could be bumped up to start Opening Night).

Looks like we're out of questions for this week, so I guess it's time to wrap up. One last game update: Despite putting the first two men on in the top of the third, the Nats couldn't advance them. Guzman and Belliard each struck out looking and Milledge grounded out to end the inning. Now in the bottom of the third, still Dodgers 2, Nats 0. Thanks to everyone who asked questions. Talk to you next week.