Denard Span collected a web gem and an injury all in the same game.
The Washington Nationals center fielder left Tuesday night’s game against the New York Mets in the third inning. William Ladson of MLB.com ventures that the injury came after making a diving catch in the top of the third on Matt den Dekker:
You can view the play below.
The Nats announced that Michael Taylor replaced Span in the batting order:
Manager Matt Williams provided an update after the game via the team’s official Twitter account:
Coming into the game, Span boasted a slash line of .298/.352/.413, all of which are the highest they’ve been since 2009. His 31 stolen bases are also a career high.
Span’s defense isn’t quite where it was a few years ago, but he remains one of Washington’s most valuable offensive players. His 3.3 WAR is third on the team, according to Baseball-Reference.com.
The Nationals will need Span once the postseason begins. They can’t afford to be without his bat at the top of the order.
Since the team has already locked up the National League East, Washington might be in a good position to let Span rest a little longer if necessary to ensure that he’s 100 percent for the playoffs.
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