Nationals Season Back On: When MLB Season Will Start

WASHINGTON, DC — Major League Baseball and the Players Association agreed to a deal that would end the lockout and give fans a full season. Opening Day is set for April 7.

Commissioner Rob Manfred Jr. announced March 1 that the first two series of the season were canceled, with more cancellations potentially to come if the two sides couldn't find common ground. Those games have now been restored, despite the later start date.

MLB is scheduling in some doubleheaders to account for the April 7 Opening Day.

The Washington Nationals will begin spring training in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday and will open their season April 7 at home against former Nationals ace Max Scherzer and the New York Mets. After the four-game season-opening series against the Mets, the Nationals head to Atlanta for a three-game series with the Braves.

Aside from superstar outfielder Juan Soto, the Nationals will be a team with few impact players in 2022. No longer on the roster are Scherzer and shortstop Trea Turner, who were dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers at last season's trade deadline.

Ryan Zimmerman announced his retirement from baseball a month ago after spending his entire career with the Nationals. Third baseman Anthony Rendon will be starting his third season with the Los Angeles Angels after leading the Nationals to a World Series victory in 2019.

The future of oft-injured Stephen Strasburg, who signed a new seven-year $245 million contract after the 2019 World Series season, remains uncertain. He was shut down last season after getting diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome.

Left-handed pitcher Patrick Corbin played a huge role in the Nationals' 2019 World Series victory but has been extremely inconsistent over the past two seasons.

First baseman Josh Bell had an extremely slow start at the plate in 2021 after joining the Nationals from the Pittsburgh Pirates. But he came on strong to finish the season with 27 home runs and 88 RBI. The rest of the infield and the outfield, aside from Soto, are filled with prospects and journeymen.

Related: MLB Lockout Nears End, Players Accept Terms In Time For 162 Games

After the excitement of the announcement of a new collective bargaining agreement, sad news was reported Thursday night. Odalis Pérez, an all-star left-handed who started the first game for Washington at the new Nationals Park in 2008, died Thursday at the age of 44.

According to a report from ESPN, Perez died after he appeared to fall from a ladder at his home in the Dominican Republic.

"Our hearts go out to his family and friends. May he rest in peace.," the Nationals said in a statement.

On Thursday afternoon, baseball owners and players were able to come to agreeable terms, according to MLB reporter Mark Feinsand. The collective bargaining agreement still must be ratified by the owners and players for Spring Training camps to open Sunday.

If that happens, the lockout will have ended after 99 days. There will be a full season with many of the pandemic changes, like nine-inning doubleheaders and no more automatic baserunners in extra innings, ending.

A new addition is the universal designated hitter, meaning teams in both the American and National League will have the DH.

The postseason will be expanded to 12 teams, something the league pushed for in its negotiations. Player uniforms will for the first time have advertising patches on their jerseys and decals on their helmets.

A pitch clock will be used, and the shift will be banned beginning in 2023.

Patch editors Mike Carraggi and Marcus Garner contributed to this report.

RELATED: Nationals Season Delayed As MLB Lockout Continues