MIAMI -- Nationals second baseman Asdrúbal Cabrera wasn't in the starting lineup for the first time in a week after injuring his right ankle on a play at the plate during Saturday's 10-4 extra-innings win over the Marlins.

The injury wasn't severe enough to prevent him from batting, and Cabrera entered Sunday's 5-3 loss in the eighth inning as a pinch-hitter and struck out.

On Saturday, Cabrera tried scoring on a single to center by Yan Gomes during the fourth inning, but he was thrown out by Magneuris Sierra on a feet-first slide. When Cabrera got to the dugout, he was helped down the stairs by manager Dave Martinez.

"The way he slid, I watched it last night, too, it was kind of ugly," Martinez said. "It just rolled. His spike caught in the ground, and he just came up and hit his front part of his ankle."

Despite this, Cabrera remained in the game until being pinch-run for in the eighth inning following his single.

"He was sore," Martinez said. "I watched him running around, moving around. He started getting stiff, and I talked to him before his last at-bat. When he got on base, we pinch-ran for him just because I knew he was sore."

Brian Dozier, who pinch-hit for Stephen Strasburg in the eighth, stayed in the game at second base as part of a double switch. He would go on to knock the go-ahead RBI single in Saturday's 10th inning.

Dozier hadn't appeared in a game since last Sunday, when he started at second over Cabrera, whom the Nats had turned to in 11 of their last 13 contests.

Since joining the Nats on Aug. 6, Cabrera is batting .318 with eight doubles, one triple, five homers, 34 RBIs and a .947 OPS in 31 games. Dozier had scuffled since Aug. 5, going 11-for-59 (.186).