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US Presswire photo Mark DeRosa will play nine innings for Class A Potomac tonight. |
DeRosa is starting in left field for Class A Potomac tonight and is scheduled to play nine innings for the first time since landing on the DL with a strained left oblique muscle. If that goes well, manager Davey Johnson suggested the 37-year-old could be in uniform as soon as Sunday at Camden Yards.
"He's going to play nine innings tonight and see how he comes out of that, and we'll take it one day at a time," Johnson said. "He could be here tomorrow or another 2-3 days. We'll see."
DeRosa was hitless in his first four at-bats on rehab, though he did draw two walks last night. Afterward, he exchanged emails with his big-league manager and gave an encouraging report.
"He left me an email and said that he was feeling great," Johnson said. "He wanted to know what the plan was. And I said: 'Well, the plan was for you to get some at-bats, start feeling real good and let me know when you're feeling real good.' And his answer was: 'I'm feeling great.'"
Signed over the winter to a one-year, $800,000 contract, DeRosa was expected to be one of the Nationals' top players off the bench and see significant playing time at a variety of positions. He got off to a sluggish start at the plate, though, and had just three hits in 37 at-bats before landing on the DL in late-April.
What will DeRosa's role be upon his return? Opportunities to start will probably be limited, but he does want DeRosa to be ready to step in at third base should struggling Ryan Zimmerman need a break.
"Right now, I was more concerned in having somebody who can pick up Zim if his shoulder starts bothering him or something," Johnson said. "So I wanted him to play third his first time down there [at Potomac], and he's hopefully going to play third tonight. Really the only other replacement I've got for Zim if he gets hurt is [Steve Lombardozzi]. And if I have him in left field, I really don't want to make that change, putting him in a new position."
DeRosa's pending return will force the Nationals to part ways with someone else off their bench. Candidates include rookie Tyler Moore (though he's become one of the team's hottest hitters) or veterans Xavier Nady (hitting .150) or Roger Bernadina (hitting .233). Neither Nady nor Bernadina has any options left and thus would have to pass through waivers to be sent to Class AAA.
15 comments:
Sounds like it's time to part ways with the X-Man.
I agree that the X-man is the one to go. However, DeRosa is about the only one who was hitting worse than Nady when he went on the DL. Hopefully, he will have improved with the time out.
I vote for Nady. Might be a nice guy but his time as come.
With DeRosa hitting a torid .081, how about him hitting cleanup behind Zimmerman? Heck, I just can't wait to see him again. Yea, things are looking up. I feel so sorry for the pitchers.
I would have to say Nady goes, mostly because I have been asking for that for a while now.
+1/2St.
Davey's comment on Zim is pretty ominous. Sounds like he's expecting Zim to go the DL, maybe as soon as DeRosa arrives. That may be the move, not waiving X.
1. Brad Lidge: BIG MISTAKE leads to DFA
2. Chien-Ming Wang BIG MISTAKE replacing Detwiler, even going there.
3. Mark DeRosa BIG MISTAKE picking this player over Brown or Marerro.
That's three huge ones for Davey. With Ryan Zimmerman possibly in what is shaping up to be a season long deep slump? Morse still getting his feet wet? LaRoche returning to his mean? And the offense sputtering? And you're bringing a guy back who really can't hit nor play the field anymore due to age and infirmities? Really?
DeRosa = meh.
Nady = meh.
But it sounds like they're warming a seat on the bench for FoF unless his bat heats up one of these weeks...
Peric you are right Davey is an idiot and that is why the Nats are in last place bringing up the rear. Let's fire him as Johnson can't manage himself out of a wet paper bag.
Ooops, I just checked the standings and the Nats have the 4th best record in baseball and are first in the NL East. Gee Peric what happened why are we in 1st. We can't be winning with that flawed plan of Davy's
DeRosa has now gone 0-for-8 in his rehab assignment.
Outside of his versatility with the glove, I just don't see how he could be an upgrade to any of the players we already have on the roster.
Peric, maybe Davey wants vets for leadership? Only thing I can think of.
rdeexpofan - I was right on this about us being in first place with the fourth best record - can't wait to hear peric's reply but it will be self serving if nothing at all
love the win tonight and can't imagine how we accomplished that with the GM and Manager that we have
Again - FIRST PLACE JUNE 23RD with peric's mistake after mistake
I actually kind of agree with peric. I'd much rather see Corey Brown at this point than this stiff.
Sounds like it is Zim going on the DL. IF DeRosa comes back, O bench his butt, and place Lobo at third andTyler Moore in left.
If Zim doesn't go to the DL, then X-Man goes, though I don't think he is as bad as DeRosa, and DeRosa would be the odd man out for me.
Roster construction is really under the purview of the GM. Those moves were either made by Rizzo or even if suggested by Davey, they had Rizzo's complete support. Having said that, it would be hard to argue that any of those three particular moves has gone according to plan.
Regarding DeRosa, his performance with the Nats before his DL stint was atrocious and his numbers during his rehab with Potomac have been pretty awful as well. Though he can play 3B, it's a little disconcerting to think about having his bat in everyday lineup should Zimm go to DL and Davey decides to keep Lombo in LF so DeRosa can fill in at 3B.....which is what Davey is saying he would do I believe.
Pitching staff needs to see how they can slice another 0.5-1.0 runs off their ERA.
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