Neither lineup is exactly humming. Washington is without James Wood, who's been slower to progress from an oblique strain than the team hoped, and CJ Abrams has missed time with a sprained ankle, though X-rays came back clean and Washington has left the door open for him to return this weekend. Miami is dealing with its own attrition on the pitching side, with Max Meyer, Robby Snelling and Adam Mazur all shelved.
Washington and Miami play again the day before this one, so whatever happens in that middle game will shape who's available and what the bullpen picture looks like by Sunday's series finale. That's the case for both sides all year: the Nationals are a last-place club playing out the string, and the Marlins are hovering just above .500, still mathematically alive but not exactly building momentum with a series just swept by the Phillies before Miami beat the Nats to open this set.
This is a get-well spot for both rosters more than a statement game. Kent's still auditioning for a rotation spot in a lost Washington season, and Junk's trying to prove he belongs in Miami's mix down the stretch. The bigger story for the Nationals right now is health — Abrams' ankle and Wood's oblique matter more to the next six weeks than anything that happens in this particular afternoon game.