Washington Nationals News: Danny Espinosa will stick to road games this spring
By Pablo Roa
Today’s District Daily features stories on Danny Espinosa‘s struggles this spring and Matt den Dekker‘s role with the Washington Nationals this season.
Good evening DoD readers, and welcome to today’s District Daily. Get caught up on the latest Nats news and opinions with some great Washington Nationals articles from around the web below.
In today’s Daily, MLB.com’s Bill Ladson discusses how Nationals shortstop Danny Espinosa will no longer play with the Nationals at Space Coast Stadium. As Ladson notes, Espinosa is struggling to see the ball at the plate at Space Coast Stadium and will instead play at minor league camp when the team is at home.
According to Ladson, Espinosa isn’t the first player to have problems hitting the ball at Space Coast Stadium since the batter’s eye isn’t wide enough for some players in the batter’s box.
Here’s what Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman had to say about the batter’s eye:
"“If a right-hander is on one side of the mound and he throws, the ball comes outside of the [batter’s eye],” said Zimmerman. “Instead of having the [green] wall behind it, there’s the sky, which is not conducive to hitting — a white ball coming out of a light blue sky. That’s Spring Training everywhere. There are a lot of fields that way. “"
Also in today’s Daily, The Washington Post’s James Wagner writes about Matt den Dekker’s potential roles with the Nationals this season. As Wagner writes in his article, den Dekker is one of several players competing for what is likely one spot on the Nationals’ bench.
While den Dekker is far from guaranteed a spot on the Opening Day roster, he could prove himself useful to the team at some point in 2016, especially considering the injury problems the team had last season. The 28-year-old has one minor league option remaining on his contract.
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.
Espinosa will stick to playing spring road games
VIERA, Fla. — When the Nationals are playing spring home games, second baseman Danny Espinosa has been playing in Minor League camp. It turns out he can’t see the ball well at Space Coast Stadium, according to manager Dusty Baker.
Baker said Espinosa will play with the big league team while it’s on the road, with the next away game Friday against the Marlins in Jupiter. Espinosa is off to a slow start this spring, going 3-for-25 with 10 strikeouts. Read full article here.
Matt den Dekker ready for whatever the Nationals need
(James Wagner, Washington Post)
VIERA, Fla. — Matt den Dekker knows his place on the Nationals roster. The team has four everyday outfielders (Bryce Harper, Jayson Werth, Ben Revere and Michael A. Taylor). There are a few other non-roster invitee outfielders in camp — Chris Heisey, Reed Johnson and Tony Campana — still fighting for a spot, along with Tyler Moore, who is out of minor league options. In a projected roster, there is only one open spot on the bench.
“There’s a lot guys that can play here,” den Dekker said. “I’m just trying to keep myself ready and work hard and whatever happens from there is out of my control. So I’m gonna do what I can do and be ready to play.” Read full article here.