WASHINGTON (AP) -- There they all were on Saturday a little past noon, just as they were supposed to be, heading from the home dugout at Nationals Park to their appointed defensive positions for the top of the first inning of Washington's final exhibition game, an 8-8 tie against the Minnesota Twins.
Jayson Werth in left field, Anthony Rendon at third base and Ryan Zimmerman at first, the sort of thing that is not supposed to be a big deal but turned out to be a luxury last season, when injuries played a role in the Nationals' flop: The team had its ideal lineup available for a grand total of only two out of 162 games in 2015.