Cuts Run Deep As Opener Nears – The Post
– The Wash. Times
Clippard, Mock among Nationals sent down – The Free Lance-Star
Cuts include pitchers Garret Mock, Tyler Clippard, Rob Bell, Eude Brito,
Colin Balester, Bobby Brownlie, Adam Carr, Brian Sanches, Jason Stanford, Ross Detwiler and Dennis Tankersley. Position players who won’t be on the major league roster include shortstop Ian Desmond; outfielders Jason Dubois, Rogearvin Bernadina and Justin Maxwell; catcher Javier Herrera; first basemen Luis Jimenez and Josh Whitesall; and infielder Ed Rogers. Catcher Chad Moeller was unconditionally released.

THOM LOVERRO – Baseball can bring out ‘Animal’ for everyone – The Wash. Times
Nats have ‘Animal’ visit clubhouse – nationals.com
George “The Animal” Steele visited with the Nationals yesterday. I wonder if the players who were cut missed him. Steele, actually named Jim Myers, a Detroit native, was at the ballpark to see his Tigers. Loverro arranged the meetings with the players and Manny Acta. No, his tounge wasn’t green.

Verlander shuts down Nats – Florida Today
Spring Training Report – The Wash. Times
The Animal must have been pleased to see his Tigers beat the Nats, 4-3. John Lannan gave up 3 runs over 3 2/3 innings for Washington.

Whitney Makes A Powerful Case – The Post
1B Matt Whitney hit a tree run homer yesterday, but being behind Nick Johnson and Dmitri Young, he probably won’t play in Washington without one of them getting traded or injured.

Paul Lo Duca inches closer to return – Florida Today
The catcher took bp yesterday and could play Saturday.

Ryan Zimmerman profile: