Washington Nationals third baseman Yunel Escobar left Friday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies with a groin injury.
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Escobar Leaves Game vs. Phillies
Friday, April 17
Mark Zuckerman of Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic noted that Escobar exited after he “tweaked something” while attempting to beat out a ground ball. Zuckerman later noted manager Matt Williams said Escobar would be re-evaluated Saturday after sustaining a groin injury.
The Washington Nationals passed along the corresponding lineup changes following the injury:
Escobar hit .258 with seven home runs, 39 RBI and a .324 on-base percentage for the Tampa Bay Rays last season. He came to Washington as a versatile infielder who was expected to provide veteran leadership and timely hitting. Zuckerman pointed out earlier in the season that Escobar was living up to the billing:
Escobar is so valuable because he can play multiple positions in the infield. His ability to play second base, third base and even shortstop allows the team to mix and match lineup combinations depending on the opponent. Now others such as Dan Uggla and Danny Espinosa will have to step up until Escobar returns.
Fellow infielder Anthony Rendon is yet to play in a game this season with a knee injury, so this setback to Escobar could be troublesome.
The Nationals are loaded with elite talent and a pitching staff filled with marquee names, but they will need positional depth if they want to cash in on their World Series aspirations. Losing Escobar for extensive time would be a difficult blow.
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