Notes: Lester's progress; Espino's role

The Nationals will continue with a four-man rotation in the short term, sending Max Scherzer to the mound on Tuesday against the Blue Jays. But manager Dave Martinez said a fifth arm could be added to the mix soon.

Jon Lester, whose first start for Washington has been delayed twice -- first by a parathyroidectomy in Spring Training, then by a stint on the COVID-IL just before Opening Day -- is ramping up at the Nats' alternate training site in Fredericksburg, Va.

Lester will throw 90 pitches over six innings on Sunday, and if all goes well, he could be added to the active roster to round out the starting rotation. Martinez said it will all come down to how the lefty feels the day after his simulated outing.

Lester's absence has been felt, especially when the Nationals have faced elite starting pitching in the first few weeks of the season.

Martinez joked that he knows this series against the Mets is no easier for his club, which faced Jacob deGrom Friday night.

“They’re very competitive,” said Martinez of the current NL East leaders. “So, we’ve got our hands full. We got to trust the process.”

Bullpen update
Washington needed someone to step up and take the place of right-hander Stephen Strasburg on short notice, as the 2019 World Series MVP went on the 10-day IL with right shoulder inflammation on Sunday. Paolo Espino delivered 4 1/3 in his fourth career start.

With some off days coming up, Martinez decided to keep Espino out of the starting rotation and utilize him as a fresh arm in the bullpen.

“We got our three guys set for the weekend,” Martinez said of Erick Fedde, Joe Ross and Patrick Corbin, each of whom will start during the three-game series in New York. “I like [Espino]. He can do a lot of different things. I know he’s started, he’s been stretched out, but he can pitch out of the bullpen as well.”

In 11 career appearances as a reliever, Espino's ERA practically matches his starting pitching ERA -- 5.50 and 5.51, respectively.

Bell's book club
On Thursday, Josh Bell and the Nationals announced a monthly book club for adults focused on self-improvement. The first baseman will lead an hour-long virtual discussion with avid readers, Nationals fans and anyone interested in joining.

The book club’s tagline of “Book. Betterment. Progress.” is aimed to help those who are seeking out good or pursuing progress.

“I’m hoping that this club helps everyone dive inside themselves and allows them to reflect on their own habits and upbringings,” said Bell in a statement. “I think that everyone has the opportunity to grow through reading and everybody should try to go 1-0 every day. Hopefully, this book club will provide an opportunity for all of us to do that!”

Bell’s choice for the May discussion is "The Mental Game of Baseball: A Guide to Peak Performance."