Nationals Outfielder Jacob Young Took Important Step in Rehab Process
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One of the biggest question marks surrounding the Washington Nationals at this stage of spring training is the health status of two-time Gold Glove finalist Jacob Young.
He missed time early during camp because of a contusion in his right wrist that he suffered in mid-February. But he was able to return for one Grapefruit League game before being shut down again due to that same injury. Since then, he's been trying to work his way back. And according to Jessica Camerato of MLB.com, he took an important step on Tuesday when he began to swing again.
She added that Young is still considered day-to-day and the aim is to make sure "he's 100% healthy for Opening Day" throughout the rest of spring. How that impacts his rehab and ramp-up time isn't clear at this time since it would be wise to get him ready for at-bats against MLB pitching.
How Nationals Outfield Likely Will Be Set Up With Jacob Young Healthy
Based on that bit of information from Camerato, the expectation should be that Young will be healthy and available for their season opener on March 26. If that changes, then the Nationals will have to adjust. But there's a good chance he'll be penciled into center field on Opening Day.
Because of that, Dylan Crews will likely slide over to right field, where he operated the majority of his time last season. James Wood will man things in left. And Daylen Lile will likely be the designated hitter to keep his bat in the lineup.
Young's defense is so elite that it's hard to not have him out there even though his bat is far below average. But because Crews has also struggled at the plate during his big league career, having both Young and Crews manning the outfield at the same time could be one of their worse offensive setups.
How manager Blake Butera and president of baseball operations Paul Toboni adjust the lineup to counteract that will be interesting to see. But for now, it should be expected that Young will be the starting center fielder if he's 100% healthy for Opening Day.
Nationals Have Plenty of Depth In Case Jacob Young Isn't Ready
Just in case Young does suffer a setback and isn't healthy for the start of the season, Washington is equipped to handle the absence of the outfielder. Not only can Crews slide over to center in Young's absence, but Robert Hassell III is another option the team can choose from. And depending on how long Young could potentially be on the shelf, the Nationals have two top 30 prospects in Christian Franklin and Andrew Pinckney knocking on the door for their shot in The Show.
The health situation surrounding Young will continue to be something to monitor. With him beginning to swing just 16 days before Opening Day arrives, that doesn't give a lot of margin for error. Hopefully his wrist heals and he's back in the lineup. But if not, Washington has the capacity to adjust.
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