Nationals' A.J. Cole: Dealing with tenderness

Cole (suspension) has "tenderness somewhere," which is why his last scheduled Grapefruit League start was skipped, the Washington Post's Chelsea Janes reports.

Analysis:

Manager Dusty Baker did not specify where Cole was dealing with tenderness, but it is presumably an arm-related issue. He managed a strong four-inning outing against the Marlins on March 9, but has given up 14 earned runs on 16 hits and five walks over his other three starts (8.1 innings), so it has been a pretty brutal spring for the presumed sixth starter and potential fill-in option if Max Scherzer (finger) is not ready for his first turn in the rotation. His status will be updated when the exact location of the injury is reported. Cole is slated to be suspended for the first three games of the season, which will have zero impact on his value, as he would not have pitched in those three games.