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Washington Nationals: Howie Kendrick’s season-ending injury a devastating blow

By Tom Sileo

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The Washington Nationals will struggle to replace Howie Kendrick after a ruptured achilles ended the veteran’s 2018 season.

As Howie Kendrick writhed in pain after making a running catch in the first half of a doubleheader to the Los Angeles Dodgers, so did the Washington Nationals‘ ability to keep marching forward in the absence of several key starters.

Late Saturday night, the Nationals announced that Kendrick suffered a ruptured achilles tendon. He will have surgery and miss the rest of the season.

Kendrick’s absence will undoubtedly loom large, as Bryce Harper expressed after Saturday’s first of two defeats at Nationals Park.

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In 40 games this season, the steady 34-year-old veteran was batting .303 while playing a solid second base, left field and even first base to fill in for his injured teammates.

All-Star second baseman Daniel Murphy just started extended Spring Training in Florida, while Opening Day left fielder Adam Eaton is still recovering from ankle surgery. Another starting 2017 NL All-Star, first baseman Ryan Zimmerman, is also on the disabled list with an oblique injury.

First base and left field should be adequately covered by Matt Adams, Mark Reynolds and newly promoted star prospect Juan Soto. But Kendrick’s injury makes Wilmer Difo the everyday second baseman until Murphy’s return.

Rafael Bautista would have been another outfield call-up option, but a gruesome Friday knee injury has sadly ended the speedy young outfielder’s season.

Nats outfielder Brian Goodwin is still sidelined with a wrist injury but is “starting to swing the bat” according to a MASN report quoting Nats manager Dave Martinez. Should his wrist cooperate, a healthy Goodwin could be another solution to Washington’s outfield depth problems.

But will general manager Mike Rizzo look elsewhere to compensate for the losses of Howie Kendrick and catcher Matt Wieters, who recently underwent hamstring surgery?

Rizzo was in contact with the Miami Marlins about young catching star J.T. Realmuto over the winter. And Martin Prado, a veteran “Nat killer” who has played third base, second base and corner outfield positions, might be a match to fill Kendrick’s role.

Could the NL East rivals work out a deal? Well, the Nats will be in Miami next weekend if Rizzo wants to sit down for a chat with Marlins owner Derek Jeter and work something out.

Next: Solis growing into reliable reliever

While Howie Kendrick’s teammates and fans hoped his leg injury wasn’t as serious as it appeared, the MRI results confirmed not only the need for surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation process, but a major hurdle that the 2018 Washington Nationals will have no choice but to try and overcome.

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