JUPITER, Fla. -- The Nationals will be without one of their hottest hitters this spring for a few days, with outfielder Michael Taylor away from the team to deal with a family issue.
Taylor, who grew up in nearby Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was scratched from Saturday's lineup.
"I was texting him this morning, told him to take whatever time he needs," Nats manager Dusty Baker said. "I talked to some of the guys, nobody has talked to him."
Taylor is hitting .444/.444/.722 this spring, with two home runs and six stolen bases in 36 at-bats and is perhaps the favorite to secure the team's final bench spot.
Worth noting
• Catcher Jose Lobaton has been dealing with some tightness in his left forearm that has sidelined him the past week. He is scheduled to catch a Minor League game on Sunday afternoon and could return to Grapefruit League action on Monday. The injury is similar to the left elbow tendinitis Lobaton dealt with last season that kept him out of action for nearly a month.
"We wanted to catch it before it got to that," Baker said.
• The Nats will get one bullpen piece back when left-hander Enny Romero, who was acquired from the Rays shortly before the start of Spring Training, returns to camp after the Dominican Republic was knocked out of the World Baseball Classic. Romero did not allow a run in 2 2/3 innings, with three strikeouts, while his fastball velocity was routinely in the upper 90s, near 100 mph.
"Well, I wish he were here, especially because we don't know him," Baker said. "He said he was ready, and that's a must, because he's out of options.