Eaton has 'bad bone bruise' and is day to day
WASHINGTON -- Adam Eaton has a “bad bone bruise” on the side of his right knee, according to manager Dave Martinez, who revealed the results of Eaton’s MRI prior to Tuesday’s game against the Mets. While Martinez called Eaton day to day, the outfielder's right knee stiffens up after sitting too long and the Nats want him to take some time to rest it.
After missing three straight starts over the weekend after getting hit by a pitch in the right knee on Wednesday, Eaton attempted to start in right field on Monday, but he left the game at the start of the third inning after the leg tightened up on him. Eaton should be available to pinch-hit, but the Nats will give him a break from running the bases or playing the outfield.
Washington did not give a timetable for Eaton’s return, but third baseman Anthony Rendon missed about 14 games with a bone bruise on his left elbow earlier this season. Martinez was hopeful Eaton’s recovery would not take as long, but given his history of knee injuries, the Nats are not going to rush him back.
“We’ll definitely have to just keep an eye,” Martinez said. “Adam Eaton’s another one of those, as we all know, he’s very pesky -- does not like sitting. He wants to play, but I told him, 'We tried it yesterday and you got stiff, the knee swelled up. So let’s just back down a little bit and if you’re capable of hitting in a pinch, then you can pinch-hit.'”
Replacing Eaton in the lineup will not be easy.
Gerardo Parra, who started in right field on Tuesday against the Mets, has made himself a fan favorite by leading dugout dancing lines and with his “Baby Shark” walkup song, but he has come down from his initial hot streak and is batting just .238/.287/.419 with a 76 OPS+ in 172 plate appearances with the Nats.
Michael A. Taylor was promoted from Double-A Harrisburg on Tuesday, along with infielder Wilmer Difo, and Martinez hinted he could use Taylor in the right matchups. Taylor’s early-season struggles resulted in him getting sent down to the Minors, but he is still a strong defender and had started to get hot before his promotion, batting .362 with 11 extra-base hits in his past 12 games.
Eaton had been a huge reason why the Nationals’ lineup had gotten so red-hot the past few weeks, setting the table, along with Trea Turner, from the No. 2 spot in the lineup ahead of Rendon and Juan Soto. With Eaton down, Asdrubal Cabrera batted second on Tuesday, with Victor Robles expected to slot into the No. 2 hole against lefties.
Kieboom heading to West Palm Beach
The Nationals are not planning to call up top prospect Carter Kieboom as part of expanded rosters in September, Martinez confirmed on Tuesday. Kieboom will head to the team’s complex in West Palm Beach, Fla., to continue getting at-bats and stay sharp in the event of an injury.
Kieboom, the No. 20 prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, made his brief Major League debut in D.C. earlier this season, but he struggled in both the field and at the plate in his 11 games. He hit a pair of homers, but he was sent down after posting a .491 OPS with 16 strikeouts in 39 at-bats.
He had a strong season at Triple-A Fresno, though, batting .303/.409/.493 with 16 homers, but the Nationals did not want to call him up if playing time was not available.
“He’s a big part of our future, but there’s no sense to bring him in to just sit him,” Martinez said. “He’s going to get limited at-bats, so he’s going to go down there and play to keep in shape. If anything happens, then he’s ready to go.”