The Washington Nationals cannot afford any more injuries right now. The expected absence of Daniel Murphy and the unexpected loss of Adam Eaton have left them struggling to score. Without Anthony Rendon, the task will not get easier.
But they might be facing a few days without their starting third baseman, who left Friday night’s game after fouling a pitch off his left big toe. X-rays on the toe were negative, which is a positive. But as Jayson Werth learned when he fouled a pitch off his foot last summer, initial X-rays do not always reveal the extent of an injury, and foot bruises can linger.
“No broken bone is better than a broken bone, but yeah, it definitely hurts,” Rendon said. “We’ll play it by ear, see how it feels tomorrow or the next day or whatever. We really don’t know.”
When word about the X-rays came back, Nationals Manager Dave Martinez asked Rendon whether he wanted Saturday off. Rendon didn’t give him an answer right away, saying he wanted to see how he feels.
“It could feel great in the morning,” Rendon said. “It could still suck.”
As Rendon spoke to reporters after the game, a 2-1 loss to the Colorado Rockies, that toe was wrapped in what looked like duct tape but was probably something more helpful. Rendon said the toe “doesn’t look good” underneath. He played an inning after the foul ball but realized he was walking around the infield on the side of his foot, a recipe for compensation disaster.
“I could tear a knee or something,” he said. So he came out of the game.
If he cannot play for a substantial stretch, the Nationals will lose one of their most reliable and consistent hitters at a time when some others who fit that description are not hitting. Rendon is batting .286, and his 16 hits lead the team.
“I think everybody knows how good he is, how good he can be for us, especially in that two hole,” Bryce Harper said. “He does a great job for us seeing a lot of pitches, taking advantage of mistakes the pitcher’s thrown. Hopefully he can get back in there in the next couple of days and see what happens.”
If Rendon doesn’t do that, the Nationals will likely have to patch third base together with a combination of Wilmer Difo, Howie Kendrick and Matt Reynolds. Recently signed veteran Mark Reynolds began his career as a third baseman but is not as mobile as he used to be and wouldn’t be ready for immediate duty anyway. He will need weeks in West Palm Beach, Fla., before he is ready to debut.
So in the meantime, the Nationals must cross their fingers and hope Rendon feels better in the morning. Or, at least, that he feels better some morning soon. They cannot afford to start many days without him.
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