Jake Irvin Starting for Nationals Against Phillies in Game 4 of Spring Training
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The Washington Nationals will face off against their division rival Philadelphia Phillies twice this week, and the first matchup of the two will be a home game on Monday at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches.
It's been a good start to the spring campaign for the Nationals thus far, as they have amassed a 3-0 record and are coming off a dominating win over the Miami Marlins on Sunday. They'll look to keep things rolling in the early part of their schedule as assessments continue to take place. And for Jake Irvin -- who is Monday's scheduled starter -- this is an important outing.
monday night in west palm pic.twitter.com/el90S6u5m4
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) February 23, 2026
Competing for the fifth spot in the rotation, Irvin has to prove he should be part of the mix coming off a disastrous year. So having a good showing early on will help his cause. The rest of the lineup features some notable names playing in interesting spots, which should make for an intriguing evaluation.
Catching Irvin will be Drew Millas. He's the third starter Washington has used with their main squad, as veteran Riley Adams caught the first main-squad game before Keibert Ruiz was the starter in the second. Star prospect Harry Ford's lone start behind the dish came with the split-squad on Saturday.
Main Lineup Observations
CJ Abrams is back in the starting lineup. That shouldn't be too big of a surprise since he was off on Sunday, but it's good to see him returning to game action after going 1-for-2 with an RBI double and a walk in his first contest.
What's the most notable thing, however, is Luis Garcia Jr. is not in the lineup. He has yet to play this spring and is listed as day-to-day with a hamstring injury. There aren't huge concerns regarding if this issue will impact him for Opening Day. But after he had a poor showing in 2025, not being on the field working on things is not a good sign.
Out of the lineup today for the Nationals first Spring Training game: Luis García Jr. day to day with left hamstring tightness, Jacob Young day to day with right wrist soreness after HBP on Wednesday.
— Jessica Camerato (@JessicaCamerato) February 21, 2026
Because of Garcia's absence, Orelvis Martinez and Abimelic Ortiz are getting starts at second and first base, respectively. Those two started there the last time they were on the field together, and with Garcia out, that gives them more of a chance to make a claim for a roster spot.
Dylan Crews will look to bounce back after tough showing in Game 1. Same with Christian Franklin, who will get the start in left field. Jose Tena draws the assignment at the hot corner, and he'll have a tough act to follow after Brady House ripped two home runs on Sunday.
First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. ET.
Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he worked at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad became the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continued to cover Penn State athletics. Currently, Brad is the Publisher for Washington Nationals On SI and covers multiple teams across the On SI network. He is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, where he and his co-host discuss topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai