Trea Turner picked an “incredible” name for his son.
Earlier this month, Turner announced the birth of Beckham Dash. He and his wife, Kristen, came up with the first name together. As for the middle name, Turner got an assist from Nationals bench coach Tim Bogar on selecting a unique yet perfectly suited option for one of the league’s quickest players.
“At one point last year, Bogie came up to me and said, ‘You’ve got to name your kid something fast,’” Turner said on Tuesday.
Bogar pondered it and came up with the winner: Dash, inspired by the speedy character from the hit Pixar movie "The Incredibles." Turner’s initial reaction was that it couldn't be the first name. The more he and his wife considered it, though, the more the idea clicked. After all, Turner is known for the same skill, leading all of baseball in bolts and tying for fourth in sprint speed last season.
“We started thinking about it, and as a middle name, we thought it was pretty cool and it kind of flowed very well -- or at least we thought so,” Turner said. “We went with it, and we like it. So hats off to Bogie.”
‘Like the first day of school’
The first day of full-squad workouts brought the 2021 Nationals (and roster hopefuls) together at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches on Tuesday. All players were in attendance except for relievers Javy Guerra and Jeremy Jeffress, who were awaiting clearance from their intake tests. Guerra arrived later than usual this spring because his wife is pregnant, and Jeffress agreed to his Minor League deal on Monday.
“It’s almost like the first day of school,” manager Dave Martinez said. “Getting to see everybody again, getting reacquainted with everybody, start your communication with everybody and build those relationships. It was really good to see everybody.”
The Nationals were able to hold the Circle of Trust, their on-field pre-workout ritual, after making social distancing accommodations.
“A little bit more spread out than normal,” Martinez said. “I laid out my message and I told them, ‘Look, pitchers and catchers set the precedent early. They came in, they’ve been working diligently. Now that we have the whole team together, it’s about us, it’s about our families, it’s about communicating, it’s a commitment. So let’s go out there and have some fun.
“‘You know, all things aside, I know things are difficult. I want you guys to keep things simple within our circle, and when you come to the ballpark, it’s about playing baseball, having fun and getting to work.’”
Scherzer’s light pitching
Max Scherzer continues to progress in his recovery from a left ankle sprain. After throwing from 60 feet on Sunday, he threw 10 “very light” pitches on Tuesday.
“We just wanted to see him land on that foot,” Martinez said. “He said he felt good. We’ll see how he feels tomorrow morning, but that was encouraging to watch him go out there.”
Scherzer sustained the sprain two weeks before Spring Training while doing conditioning drills.
Senior Reporter Jessica Camerato covers the Nationals for MLB.com.