Nationals' Sean Doolittle: High-leverage option when healthy

Doolittle (elbow) still hasn't seen Grapefruit League action this spring and won't be ready for Opening Day, but he could be the Nationals' top left-handed option in the bullpen when healthy, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

The veteran southpaw doesn't have a lot of competition for that role left in camp, with journeyman Anthony Banda and minor-leaguers Jose Ferrer and Matt Cronin the only left-handed relievers remaining. Ferrer in particular has been seeing work against big-league hitters early in spring games and could open the season on the 26-man roster, but he has yet to pitch above Double-A in his career. Doolittle is in the final stages of his recovery from UCL surgery performed last July, and while the 36-year-old is no longer the pitcher who racked up 78 saves in 2017-19, if he finds himself as the only lefty in the Nationals' bullpen he would be in line for high-leverage work and potentially even some matchup-dependent save chances.