Nationals manager Dave Martinez said Rainey (collarbone) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Monday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

While he has yet to make his Grapefruit League debut as he recovers from a muscle strain near his right collarbone, Rainey is beginning to ramp up again and is expected to be ready to go for the start of the regular season. After incumbent closer Daniel Hudson endured a turbulent 2020 campaign and after Sean Doolittle left for the Reds this offseason, Rainey looks like he could be a candidate for ninth-inning duties earlier this winter, but those hopes were dashed when the Nationals signed three-time All-Star Brad Hand to a one-year, $10.5 million deal. Rainey should once again serve as one of the Nats' top setup men in 2021.