Washington Nationals News: Nats’ lineup depleted by several minor injuries
By Pablo Roa
Good evening DoD readers, and welcome to today’s District Daily! Get caught up on the latest Nats news with some great Washington Nationals articles from around the web below.
In today’s Daily, MLB.com’s Bill Ladson discusses several minor injuries facing the Nationals right now. As Ladson notes, Yunel Escobar, Bryce Harper and Denard Span were all out of the lineup for today’s postponed game against the Phillies. Although the game was never completed and the innings played will not count, the absence of those three players would definitely have been felt by a lineup which is already missing several key pieces.
The Nationals, of course, are already dealing with injuries to Anthony Rendon, Ryan Zimmerman and Jayson Werth—all of whom are on the disabled list for the foreseeable future. While the team is able to get by with those three out of the lineup, the minor injuries to the other players mentioned above essentially leave the Nationals with a lineup of replacements.
Fortunately for the team, the injuries to Escobar, Harper and Span don’t appear to be severe. Escobar is dealing with a sore left hand after being hit by a pitch Friday. Harper is dealing with a sore hamstring, and Span continues to be slowed by back spasms. While these injuries shouldn’t keep them out for too long, the Nationals’ lineup is undoubtedly weakened by their absence—even if its just for a day or two.
Yes, the Nationals, winners of seven straight and armed with the best rotation in baseball, are playing well and have a comfortable lead in the NL East. But the team simply cannot continue to succeed with its six best hitters out of the lineup.
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Today’s rainout is unfortunate because it forced the Nationals to burn Gio Gonzalez, but it may also be a blessing in disguise as it gave Escobar, Harper and Span an extra day of rest. Hopefully for the Nationals, all three will be back in the lineup soon and the players who are on the disabled list won’t be too far behind.
While it’ll be hard for the Nationals to continue to win with all of these injuries, the team does have what it takes to survive a couple of weeks without Rendon, assuming the other players get healthy quick. In the second article in our Daily, the Washington Post’s Neil Greenberg uses advanced statistics to prove just that.
Be sure to check out both articles below, they’re definitely worth a read. And as always, stay tuned to DoD for all your Washington Nationals needs.
Injuries keep Yunel, Harper, Span from lineup
PHILADELPHIA — Nationals third baseman Yunel Escobar and outfielders Denard Span and Bryce Harper were not in the starting lineup Saturday against the Phillies.
Escobar is still dealing with a sore left hand after being hit by a pitch thrown by right-hander Aaron Harang on Friday. The hand is still swollen and — for now — there isn’t any talk about Escobar having an MRI. Williams said Escobar will have the MRI only if the hand continues to be sore. Escobar had an X-ray on Friday, and the results were negative. Read full article here.
Nats can get along without Anthony Rendon for a while
(Neil Greenberg, Washington Post)
The Washington Nationals will have to get along without Anthony Rendon for a while.
Rendon has been dealing with a sore left quad and Manager Matt Williams said he gave Rendon the day off to rest, but it now looks like something a bit more serious.
Offensively, the Nationals have used primarily Yunel Escobar and Ian Desmond as their No. 2 hitter in Rendon’s absence, with Danny Espinosa getting a few plate appearances in that slot, as well. Escobar has been the best choice, batting .365 with an OPS of .830, producing 36 percent more weighted runs after adjusting for league and park effects. Desmond is not far behind with a 121 wRC+. Read full article here.