Washington Nationals News: Off the bench, Dan Uggla valuable piece for Nats
By Pablo Roa
Good evening DoD readers, and welcome to today’s District Daily! Check out some great Washington Nationals articles from around the web below.
In today’s Daily, MLB.com’s Bill Ladson discusses Dan Uggla and how important he is to the Nationals. As Ladson notes, Uggla has spent most of the season in a limited role but has still been a valuable player for the Nationals.
It’s not easy to contribute to a ball club when you haven’t started a game in over two weeks, but Uggla has still been key for the Nationals this season. He’s had some huge hits, such as his game-tying three-run homer against the Braves last month that helped turn the Nationals’ season around, and having a powerful bat like his on the bench is a huge advantage for the Nationals as well.
It’s not clear what’s going to happen with Uggla once Anthony Rendon returns from the disabled list. But for now, he’s a key part of the bench and a key part of the team, even if he’s playing in a limited role.
Also in today’s Daily, Ladson discusses how Denard Span enjoys mentoring rookie Michael A. Taylor.
The Nationals are in an unusual situation right now, as their current center fielder is playing next to his all-but-certain replacement. Span is set to hit free agency this winter, and the expectation right now is that Taylor will step into the everyday center fielder role starting next season. As Ladson notes, however, there is no animosity between the two players and Span is happy to have the chance to help Taylor succeed.
Be sure to check out the articles below, they’re definitely worth a read. And as always, stay tuned to DoD for all your Washington Nationals needs.
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Off the bench, Uggla valuable piece for Nats
WASHINGTON — Second baseman Dan Uggla hasn’t started a game since May 5, but despite the lack of playing time, he is happy to be a member of the Nationals.
It’s a different attitude compared to when he was with the Braves. Last year, Uggla lost the second-base job to Tommy La Stella and acknowledged that he was frustrated toward the end of his time in Atlanta.
“I reached a breaking point [with the Braves] around the All-Star break. It was a bad situation,” Uggla said. “[In Washington], they don’t owe me anything. I came here at the minimum. I came here fighting for a job, wanting to make the team, be the everyday guy. It hasn’t worked out that way, but that is not their problem. Read full article here.
Span welcomes chance to mentor Taylor
WASHINGTON — Nationals center fielder Denard Span is comfortable in his own skin. He’s not merely comfortable at the plate, where he has 16 hits in his last 49 at-bats (.410) over a nine-game stretch.
Span is in line to enter free agency after the season, and he is willing to help fellow Nats outfielder Michael Taylor at all costs. Taylor, it turns out, is expected to take Span’s job next year, but that doesn’t matter to the 31-year-old, who remembers when Torii Hunter took him under his wing and showed him the ropes when Span was a rookie coming up with the Twins.
“It started with me being a young guy in Minnesota,” Span said. “I looked up to Torii Hunter. He was my hero. There were a lot of things he did for me, the little things that meant big things to me as a kid. One of the things he told me was, ‘Help the next young man coming up — go the extra mile.’ That always stuck with me.” Read full article here.