Washington Nationals: Josh Harrison was biggest addition to lineup
As the Washington Nationals limped out of Los Angeles, fresh off being swept by the Dodgers, word dropped their lineup was about to get a boost. Prior to the first game with the St. Louis Cardinals, Josh Bell, Kyle Schwarber and Josh Harrison were reinstated from their stint on the Injured List because of COVID protocols.
Aside from wanting to see Bell and Schwarber in Nationals uniforms in games that mattered for the first time, I was eager to see how they fit in the lineup. Having been shut out in three of the previous four games, getting the power bats in the starting nine was going to be a relief. An afterthought, in my mind at least, was getting Harrison back.
The addition of Josh Harrison’s bat to the lineup has had an immediate impact for a Washington Nationals team which has struggled to score runs.
Manager Davey Martinez fell in love with the skill set of Harrison soon after the latter was signed as a free agent at the beginning of the 2020 season. Playing five different positions and hitting a respectable .278, Harrison seemed like a great fit for the Nationals. Prior to free agency, he re-signed a one year deal to return to the District.
Tabbed as a utility infielder at the start of spring training, the inability of Carter Kieboom to lock down the starting job at third base shuffled the infield some, making Harrison the starting second baseman.
Fresh off the COVID quarantine, Harrison hit, hit, and hit some more, against the Cardinals. Getting Bell and Schwarber back led to some protection in the lineup for Juan Soto, and the capability of a long ball or two, though the two big men struggled with the bat. While it may take them time to shake the rust off (they hit .167 and .286 in their first series, respectively), Harrison was hot immediately.
He had six hits in the three game set, and added two walks, while driving in three runs. In the rubber game of the series, Harrison was penciled into the five spot in the batting order. His veteran presence has been comforting in the early going.
Next. Good, bad and ugly from Dodgers series. dark
Bell and Schwarber may be the flashy names and generate buzz when they come to the plate, though Harrison continues to quietly go about his business in a workmanlike way.