Blake Butera's Decision Today Matters More Than Nationals Fans Might Think
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The Washington Nationals -- and starting pitcher Miles Mikolas -- took it on the chin Friday against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the team's home opener.
After entering the game with a 3-3 record, the Nationals are under .500 for the first time all season. And with Tyler Glasnow on the mound for the Dodgers, it's going to be a tall task to not stay there after Saturday's contest.
Washington set their lineup to face the talented righty, and as expected, there were a lot of left-handed hitters littered throughout the order. However, one major thing stood out when looking at how manager Blake Butera set his defense, and it could matter more in the long run than fans might think.
Curtis Mead Started at First Base Over Luis Garcia Jr.
Lineup
-James Wood: RF
-Luis Garcia Jr: DH
-Brady House: 3B
-Daylen Lile: LF
-CJ Abrams: SS
-Curtis Mead: 1B
-Jorbit Vivas: 2B
-Drew Millas: C
-Jacob Young: CF
-Jake Irvin: SP
Keeping the left-handed-hitting Luis Garcia Jr. in the lineup to face a right-hander such as Glasnow isn't surprising. But it is interesting to see him get the designated hitter spot while Curtis Mead was given the start at first base.
The plan seemed to be for the Nationals to platoon depending on the pitching matchup, with Garcia starting at first against righties while a right-handed hitter like Mead or previously Andres Chaparro was slotted in against lefties.
But it has been a bit of a struggle on the defensive end for Garcia. He's had some problems making picks, he's been charged with an error and he's already been worth minus-two outs above average and minus-one in defensive runs saved.
Based on Mead getting the start at first base despite a righty being on the mound, this might be a sign that Butera is potentially changing how he is going to approach his previous strategy going forward. This will be something to keep an eye on, and it could bring some changes to this roster.
Will Nationals Move Luis Garcia Jr. Back to Second Base?
So far, Garcia has not seen game action at second base all season. It seems like this regime was ready for him to make the full-time transition to first, with Nasim Nunez primarily taking over at the keystone with others like Jorbit Vivas and even Mead filling in there from time to time.
But if Washington is rethinking Garcia's viability at first base, then they likely will give 24th-ranked prospect Abimelec Ortiz a shot to be the left-handed side of the platoon at that position, which would likely move Garcia back over to second.
If that happens, then Vivas or Jose Tena would likely be the roster casualties of that move since there would be no point in keeping so many infielders around. That would hurt the Nationals' plan of being versatile, though, since both Vivas and Tena can play shortstop and third base, while Garcia has played 508 big league games at second and just 70 at short.
All of this is to say there are plenty of implications that could come with moving Garcia out of first base and back to second, which is why the decision to start Mead on Saturday was so notable. While it could just be a one-game thing as a way to get Garcia off his feet for a day, it could also be a sign that changes are coming for Washington soon.
Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he worked at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad became the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continued to cover Penn State athletics. Currently, Brad is the Publisher for Washington Nationals On SI and covers multiple teams across the On SI network. He is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, where he and his co-host discuss topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai