Washington Nationals Encouraged by Young Star’s Spring Training Debut

The Washington Nationals had to wait a week to get their young outfielder on the field for his first spring training game.

Sep 28, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood (29) hits a two run home run against the Philadelphia Phillies during the sixth inning at Nationals Park. | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

James Wood made his Washington Nationals spring training debut on Friday against the New York Mets.

If he was rusty, he didn’t show it.

The Nationals put him in the leadoff spot and had him serve as the designated hitter as he went 1-for-2 with a walk before he was pulled from the game after reaching base in the fifth inning.

Starting as the DH isn’t uncommon for a player dealing with a leg injury. Wood missed the first week of games with right quad tendinitis. Wood revealed recently that he’s been dealing with it since the offseason. Not wanting to exacerbate it, the Nats sat him down for a bit. He’s spent the last week gearing up for game action with batting practice and other baseball activities.

He didn’t look like a player with restrictions. By allowing him to hit leadoff, it allowed Wood to get three turns at the plate. His first turned into a groundout against Mets starter Brandon Sproat, who got the win in the Mets’ 7-0 victory.

In the third inning Wood singled to right field, where Juan Soto fielded the ball and kept Andrew Pinckney at third base. Wood was one of several players the National received for Soto in the 2022 trade deadline deal that also included Josh Bell, who signed with Washington this offseason.

In the fifth, Wood drew a walk and, with three at-bats, manager Davey Martinez declared him done for the day. Yohandy Morales came in to pinch-run for the second-year pro.

“I could hit all day,” Wood said to writers after the game, including MLB.com. “You have to stop me. I love baseball. It's what I do.”

So, Martinez stopped him — for now. But even the long-time manager admitted he would have liked to have let Wood play a bit more.

“I don't like telling a player to back off,” Martinez said. “So, I tell him, ‘Hey, do what you can. Be smart about what you're doing, right?’ So, he understands that we're going to take baby steps. We've got a long way to go, but we want to get him ready for the season with no issues.”

If this were a regular-season injury rehab assignment, Wood might play in the field his next game. Given its spring training and the goal is to have him ready for the season opener, it will be interesting to see when the Nats put him back in the field.

Wood, who is 22 years old, was at one time last season the Nats’ No. 1 overall prospect before he was called up to make his MLB debut on July 1. He spent the remainder of the season with Washington, as he slashed .264/.354/.427.781 with nine home runs and 41 RBI. He is expected to be the opening-day left fielder.