Nationals' Doolittle at camp but 'not entirely' sure he'll play

Washington Nationals closer Sean Doolittle arrived at camp Wednesday, but he's still not 100 percent sure he'll play the upcoming season.

"Not entirely," the left-hander said when asked by Scott Abraham of ABC 7 News if he's sure he'll play this year. "I'm here, so I'm very much leaning toward playing. That's the way I've prepared mentally and physically during the break."

The 33-year-old continued: "My wife and I, we think we came up with a plan for her to stay with some family in the area so she's relatively close if anything should happen. At least she won't be halfway across the country. But these are the conversations that a lot of players have been having with their families ... I'm feeling good about going into it as far as it concerns me and my wife."

Doolittle and his wife, Eireann Dolan, reside in Arizona. During the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic, when MLB hadn't yet postponed the season, Dolan cautioned fans against attending spring training games and admitted she had a "long history of respiratory problems that have required extended hospitalizations."

Dolan, a well-known writer and philanthropist, recently appeared on the "Baseball Tonight" podcast with ESPN's Buster Olney to discuss concerns regarding MLB's season and its potential to contribute to further spread of the coronavirus. The former CSN California broadcaster and host of Comcast SportsNet's "Call to the Pen" also commented last week on her own public responsibility amid the health crisis.

Doolittle, a two-time All-Star, anchored a Nationals bullpen that struggled at times last season. The eventual World Series champs owned baseball's 22nd-ranked bullpen in 2019, according to FanGraphs WAR, while Doolittle posted a 4.05 ERA and 4.25 FIP over 60 innings, notching 29 saves.

A few players, including Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander Mike Leake and Colorado Rockies outfielder Ian Desmond, have chosen to opt out of the campaign since MLB mandated its 60-game season.