Thames is not in the lineup Friday against the Orioles.

EDGE Analysis

Thames returned to action Wednesday after dealing with some back pain and went 1-for-3, but he'll hit the bench Friday with southpaw Tommy Milone starting for Baltimore. Howie Kendrick will start at first base while Josh Harrison serves as the designated hitter.

Thames (back) returns to the lineup Wednesday against the Mets, batting seventh and playing first base.

EDGE Analysis

Back pain popped up for Thames over the weekend, causing him to miss a pair of intrasquad games. He remained sidelined Tuesday but is back for Wednesday's contest and will look to improve upon his .681 through his first six games.

Thames (back) is not in the lineup Tuesday against the Mets.

EDGE Analysis

Thames missed a pair of intrasquad games over the weekend, though that may not be the reason for his absence Tuesday. Lefty Steven Matz will start for the Mets, and Thames didn't start against either of the first two lefties the Nationals faced this season. Howie Kendrick will start at first base, with Asdrubal Cabrera serving as the designated hitter.

Thames (back) didn't participate in Sunday's simulated game, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Thames' stiff back prevented him from taking competitive at-bats for the second day in a row, prompting manager Dave Martinez to label the first baseman as "day-to-day" heading into Tuesday's series opener versus the Mets. Fortunately for Washington, Howie Kendrick looks to have overcome his own back issue since the Nationals had their weekend series in Miami postponed. Kendrick or Asdrubal Cabrera could pick up starts at first base if Thames isn't ready to go when the Nats return to action.

Thames sat out Saturday's intrasquad scrimmage with back pain, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

EDGE Analysis

Assuming the injury is a minor one, it's quite well-timed for Thames, as the Nationals have no games until Tuesday after their weekend series against Miami was postponed due to the Marlins' coronavirus outbreak. Thames received treatment Saturday, though it's not yet clear when he's expected to return to game action.

Thames is out of the lineup Thursday against the Nationals.

EDGE Analysis

The lefty-hitting Thames will head to the bench for the second time this season with a southpaw (Hyun-Jin Ryu) on the mound for the opposition. Asdrubal Cabrera will cover first base in place of Thames, while Josh Harrison takes over as designated hitter for Howie Kendrick (back).

Thames will be on the bench Saturday against the Yankees.

EDGE Analysis

Thames started in the season opener against righty Gerrit Cole but will sit Saturday with lefty James Paxton on the mound. Howie Kendrick will move out to first base, with Carter Kieboom serving as the designated hitter. Whether or not Thames will sit against the majority of lefties this season remains to be seen.

Thames could be in the lineup every day this season, either at first base or designated hitter, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

The Nats seemed to have plenty of 1B/DH depth not too long ago, but with Ryan Zimmerman opting out of the season and Howie Kendrick (undisclosed) not yet cleared to participate in summer camp, Thames is currently the last man standing. The former Brewer has been working hard on his defense at first base during camp, but it's his bat that will keep him in the lineup after he slugged 72 homers over the last three seasons.

Thames has been working out in his garage and hitting off a tee to stay in shape, Byron Kerr of MASN Sports reports.

EDGE Analysis

"The trainers have definitely been reaching out to make sure no one is showing any symptoms and then the strength coach has been reaching out to make sure you get your sprints in, your program, your stretching, do this and that. Just making sure guys don't show up overweight or out of shape. You don't want to get hurt," Thames said earlier this week. The veteran slugger also said he was making sure he didn't hit the weights too much out of sheer boredom. "Not trying to do too much because I do get really big. So this last month, my programming is all stretching and just getting my shoulders ready, my hips and all that fun stuff."

Thames (calf) felt good after going 2-for-3 in his return to the lineup Saturday against Miami, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

EDGE Analysis

Thames felt good enough after losing a few days to calf tightness that he attempted to stretch a single into a double in the first inning. He didn't play in the field Saturday but should be able to do so soon.