Ryan Zimmerman will learn first base this spring

Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman will play some first base this spring, according to The Washington Post.

The team still plans on utilizing Zimmerman at third "99 percent of the time," but could shift him over against tough lefties. Manager Matt Williams reportedly met with the third baseman in December, and asked him if he would be willing to learn how to play first. Zimmerman showed up to camp with a first baseman's mitt, but expressed his desire to remain at third. "If I can help the team at third, I’d like to stay there for a majority of the time for as long as I can," Zimmerman said. With Adam LaRoche set to be a free-agent at the end of the season, there's been talk Zimmerman could shift to first base full-time in 2015.

Zimmerman hit .275/.344/.465 in 568 at-bats last season. He was limited by a shoulder issue most of the year, but heads into 2014 fully healed.