Washington Nationals Manager Provides Status Update on Star Outfielder
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The Washington Nationals got their spring training schedule off on the right foot Saturday afternoon, defeating the Houston Astros 6-3.
Outfield prospect Robert Hassell III, who is in the running for the fourth outfielder spot on the Major League roster, had a three-run double in the top of the ninth inning to put the team ahead for good.
Fellow top prospect, Dylan Crews, who is expected to be the starter in right field on Opening Day, got the scoring started in the third inning with an RBI single to score center fielder Jacob Young.
The only young prominent outfielder missing from the mix on Saturday was left fielder James Wood, who is dealing with tendinitis in his right quad.
Before the team took the field against the Astros, manager Dave Martinez provided a positive update on the star slugger, as the team is being extra cautious with him early in spring training.
Wood has been able to take batting practice, as the injury wasn’t bad enough to sideline him completely. But he wasn’t playing the field or running the bases.
“He’s been hitting. He’s starting to a run a little bit,” Martinez said, via Mark Zuckerman of Masn. “But we’re kind of going to slow play this a little bit and try to nip this in the bud.”
On Friday, doctors cleared him to begin some light running. Not surprisingly, based on the manager’s quote, the team isn’t in a rush to get him into games as they do not want to make a small ailment worse.
It makes sense to hold Wood back as pushing him in the first week of camp would make very little sense. He is too important to the team’s plans this upcoming season to take a risk in exhibition games.
Wood is entering his first full season as a Major Leaguer after making his debut on July 1, 2024.
He was productive, recording a slash line of .264/.354/.427 with nine home runs, 13 doubles and four triples. 41 RBI were recorded to go along with 43 runs scored and 14 stolen bases, as he has legitimate 30/30 potential.
Wood rebounded nicely after a slow start out of the gate, quickly adjusting to MLB pitchers, showcasing his immense talent. He turned only 22 years old in September, as he is just scratching the surface of his potential.
The Nationals will be back on the field Sunday afternoon to play against the New York Mets. It is safe to say that the star left fielder will not be in the lineup for that one as he was just cleared for light running Friday.
The next time we could see Wood out there is Tuesday or Wednesday when the team faces off against the Miami Marlins and Astros.
