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6:52PM: Nats supervisor Davey Martinez informed MASNsports.com’s Mark Zuckerman and different reporters that Robles was certainly heading to the 10-day IL with again spasms, and that Alu was being referred to as up because the roster alternative.
5:38PM: Victor Robles suffered a again harm whereas attempting to steal second base within the third inning of Saturday’s recreation, which led to Robles’ elimination from the sport. The Nationals didn’t embrace Robles in as we speak’s lineup, and it now seems an extended absence is in retailer, as Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Submit (Twitter link) stories that Robles is predicted to be positioned on the 10-day injured listing.
Utilityman Jake Alu is predicted to be referred to as up from Triple-A Rochester to switch Robles on the energetic roster, as Alu is on his approach to be a part of the Nationals for the beginning of their sequence in San Francisco on Monday. The 26-year-old Alu is already on the Nationals’ 40-man roster, as D.C. added him again in November prematurely of the Rule 5 Draft.
It’s an unlucky setback for Robles, whose stable begin has now been interrupted by harm. Robles is hitting .292/.388/.360 over his first 107 plate appearances, with eight steals in 9 possibilities. Robles’ 113 wRC+ marks his highest whole for the reason that 2018 season, although naturally each a small pattern measurement and a few battled-ball luck (a .347 BABIP) may point out that some regression is coming. Nonetheless, Robles’ velocity permits him to show a few of these borderline balls in play into hits, and he has significantly improved each his stroll and strikeout charges. After a 23.9% strikeout charge in his first six MLB seasons, Robles has a 13.1 Ok% in 2023, rating within the ninetieth percentile of all batters.
On the flip facet, Robles’ once-elite protection has taken a notable step again. Over simply 258 innings in heart discipline, Robles already has -8 Defensive Runs Saved in addition to -2 Outs Above Common and a -15.8 UZR/150. This will surely give rival groups pause in contemplating Robles as a commerce deadline pickup, for the reason that rebuilding Nationals will probably be open for enterprise on any veteran participant. Robles signed a short-term contract extension in February that gave the Nats a $3.3MM membership choice on his companies for 2024, although Washington has arbitration management over Robles even when the choice is declined. This bit of additional management could possibly be an fascinating think about any commerce talks, however naturally the primary order of enterprise is to get Robles healed up and again within the Nats’ lineup.
Although Alex Call and Lane Thomas have gotten the majority of begins as Washington’s nook outfielders, Name and Thomas are the likeliest candidates to step into heart discipline responsibility with Robles sidelined. This might open up extra enjoying time for Stone Garrett and Ildemaro Vargas within the outfield, and Alu will probably additionally get some appears throughout his first style of Main League motion.
A Twenty fourth-round choose for the Nationals within the 2019 draft, Alu posted high quality numbers in 2021-22, and MLB Pipeline ranked him twenty seventh on their listing of the Nats’ prime 30 prospects, Alu started this 12 months on the injured listing with a knee harm and doesn’t appear to have actually gotten on observe, with solely a .240/.318/.333 slash line in 86 PA with Triple-A Rochester.
Nonetheless, Alu’s multi-positional versatility is likely to be extra vital than his bat within the Nationals’ view, with Robles out of motion and Jeimer Candelario additionally lacking a pair of video games on account of dehydration. Alu has performed largely third base this season and may chip in on the sizzling nook if Candelario wants extra restoration time, however Alu has additionally seen a whole lot of time as a second baseman and a handful of minor league video games as a left fielder and first baseman.
Talking of third base, the Nationals introduced that Carter Kieboom was reinstated from the 10-day injured listing and returned from his rehab project, then optioned to Triple-A. The previous prime prospect hit solely .197/.304/.285 over 414 plate appearances with the Nats from 2019-21, however he missed all of 2022 whereas recovering from Tommy John surgical procedure. A shoulder harm then set Kieboom again throughout Spring Coaching, leading to his season-opening IL stint. Kieboom has performed in solely three Double-A video games throughout his rehab project, so Washington will give him an extended ramp-up time in Rochester earlier than contemplating a return to the massive league roster.
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