Injuries keep Yunel, Harper, Span from lineup
Escobar day to day after getting hit by pitch, exiting game on Friday
PHILADELPHIA -- Nationals third baseman Yunel Escobar and outfielders Denard Span and Bryce Harper were not in the starting lineup Saturday against the Phillies.
Escobar is still dealing with a sore left hand after being hit by a pitch thrown by right-hander Aaron Harang on Friday. The hand is still swollen and -- for now -- there isn't any talk about Escobar having an MRI. Williams said Escobar will have the MRI only if the hand continues to be sore. Escobar had an X-ray on Friday, and the results were negative.
Harper is dealing with hamstring soreness, and he is feeling better than he did the previous two days, according to Williams. Span is dealing with back spasms, which have been occurring often. The last time the spasms occurred was Friday, and that forced Williams to scratch him from the lineup.
"He feels better today," Williams said about Span. "He played four in a row feeling great. It's just one of those things that crops up every once in a while."