Jacobs, who has missed time this season with an injured middle finger, said he felt good Friday and wanted to be in the lineup.
''If I had the choice, I would play [Friday],'' said Jacobs, whose nine homers lead the Marlins. ``It's out of my hands.''
Manager Fredi Gonzalez said he made the decision to continue to rest Jacobs early Friday, and he said the cold, rainy weather in Washington didn't factor into it. Gonzalez knows Jacobs wants to play, but he said he will be cautious.
''He could have a bone sticking out of his leg and tell you [he's fine],'' Gonzalez said. ``That's been my history with Mike Jacobs, and I love that to death. But we have to be more careful.''
Gonzalez said he would have used Jacobs as a pinch-hitter Thursday before Matt Treanor cleared the bases with a three-run homer in the fifth.
''He could have hit,'' Gonzalez said. ``Then we would have pinch-run for him.''
JUST A SPOT
Third baseman Jorge Cantu appears to enjoy hitting out of the cleanup spot in place of Jacobs, hitting a two-run homer in his first at-bat Thursday against Milwaukee.
He says batting fourth is the order isn't much different than batting fifth. Or even sixth.
''It doesn't matter to me. I can hit anywhere in the lineup, and I'm fine,'' Cantu said. ``Cleanup is just a word to me, plain and simple. I like any spot as long as it means I'm in that lineup.''
• Josh Willingham took batting practice before Friday's game and is expected to come off the 15-day disabled list next week in Cincinnati.
• Catcher Matt Treanor started for the second consecutive night, the first time he has played back-to-back games since April 9-10 (Florida's last visit to Nationals Park).
-- GEORGE RICHARDS
