Washington center fielder Denard Span came off the disabled list Tuesday, and his return means the Nationals have their planned Opening Day starting lineup available for the first time this season.
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Matt Williams was asked, when he spoke to reporters after Sunday’s 9-5 win over the Milwaukee Brewers, when center fielder and leadoff man Denard Span was expected to rejoin the Washington Nationals?
Span has been out of the major league lineup since July 6th, when he decided that the back spasms that had been bothering him for a month were too much to play through.
Span got a late start on the year following a pair of surgeries on his abdominal muscle surgeries, so he has only appeared in 59 games while putting up a.304/.367/.430 batting line. He also played in six rehabilitation games. “But there’s no betting in baseball”. Span’s return is not yet official because the Nationals will have to subtract from their bench or bullpen to make room for the outfielder on the 25-man roster.
The 31-year-old Span intends to ease his way back into being an everyday player. “I’ve played one nine-inning game, and I was sore after that”.
“I’m not going to feel my best this time of year with everything I’ve had to go through”, Span said.
He will work in the minors as a starter, in part because rookie Joe Ross has thrown more innings than ever before and may ultimately be shut down for the season. “We’ll evaluate him after today and as he prepares for tomorrow and see where he’s at”.
“As you remember, he was just about ready to go do that and then took a step back”, he said.
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RHP Max Scherzer, who was on track to pitch Wednesday against the Padres, will skip his turn in order to have him lined up to pitch in future series against the Cardinals and the Mets.
