6 years agoNationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman played his first game of the spring on Saturday, going three innings in the field and 0-2 at the plate. The news here is that Zimmerman, who was criticized for skipping last year's spring training, will play more often this spring, saying: "When things are good and my body is good, I'm going to play pretty regularly. If something comes up and my body doesn't feel good, then I'm not going to play." Staying healthy has always been Zimmerman's primary challenge and must be factored into his valuation. Sitting out last March didn't help matters at all, however: he hit .184/.245/.378 in April and did not play from May 10th until after the All-Star Break. It is probably good, then, that he will play this March as he enters draft season a back-end first base option.--Nathaniel Green
Source: Jamal Collier, MLB.com