Gio Gonzalez to Pitch Monday with Hopes to Put PED Scandal Behind Him

The Washington Nationals and Gio Gonzalez have had nothing short of a busy last couple of weeks with Gonzalez' surrounding PED scandal. After speaking with the media on Friday, Gonzalez is looking to take another step in putting the scandal in the rear view mirror.

Amanda Comak of The Washington Times reports that Gonzalez will be on the traveling roster on Monday and is expected to start for the Nats as they take on the New York Mets in their third spring training game.

The Nationals (0-1-1) are looking for their first win on the spring behind Gonzalez.

Gonzalez, who was in the Cy Young conversation last season, is hoping to take the necessary steps in 2013 to continue to build on his success as a National. The journey for Gio begins on Monday night against the Mets.

Although there is no expectation of Gonzalez going deep into the game, it will be interesting to see how he comes out in the couple of innings that he will pitch. Does he respond to all of the drama surrounding him and pitch a reputable performance or will he be distracted and get shelled?

There should not be too much invested in one spring training outing, especially on Feb. 25, but if there was ever a time to see how Gonzalez is going to handle the hype surrounding him, that time is now.

The Nationals and Mets square off at 6:10 p.m. EST in Port St. Lucie. The two teams faced each other on Friday as New York got the best of the Nats. 

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