Thompson could see high-leverage work for the Nationals this season, potentially even in the ninth inning with manager Dave Martinez suggesting he'll use Kyle Finnegan as a fireman and not a traditional closer, Bobby Blanco of MASN reports.
Finnegan still seems likely to see the majority of save chances for the Nationals this season, but there could be saves up for grabs if the right-hander gets the call earlier in games in tight situations. Thompson would be just one of many candidates who could benefit, with Hunter Harvey, Alex Colome, Sean Doolittle (elbow) and Carl Edwards also in the mix depending on matchups and performance. Thompson hasn't hurt his chances this spring, posting a 3:0 K:BB through 3.1 innings, but he'll need to up his strikeout rate to become a key member of the Nats bullpen after managing just a 15:9 K:BB through 24.2 big-league innings in 2022.