WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The sight of CJ Abrams racing around the bases for a leadoff triple in the bottom of the first today was a beautiful thing for the Nationals. The sight of the All-Star shortstop walking off the field and seeking out a trainer two batters later was the last thing anyone wanted to see.
By all accounts, it doesn’t appear to be anything serious. Abrams said both of his quadriceps muscles cramped up during the leadoff triple, according to manager Davey Martinez, who suggested he had no reason to be concerned following a 9-3 exhibition victory over the Astros.
“I didn’t want to take any chances,” Martinez said. “He came in and got treatment. I haven’t seen (director of athletic training Paul Lessard) yet, but I’ll check up on him. He should be OK. They said they did some tests, and it was fine. He just cramped up.”
Abrams looked good on his 270-foot trek around the bases after he ripped a pitch from Astros left-hander Brandon Walter down the right field line to open the bottom of the first, coasting into third with ease. He remained there as Dylan Crews grounded out to the mound and as James Wood struck out for the inning’s second out.
It was after that strikeout that Abrams could be seen hunching over, dealing with some kind of discomfort. Martinez signaled from the dugout for Abrams to come out of the game, and he walked all the way back, greeted at the steps by Lessard.
The Nationals are embarking on a rare overnight trip to the other side of the state, with a game Thursday against the Rays in Port Charlotte and then another Friday against the Braves in North Port. Most of the team’s regulars are scheduled to go, including Abrams.
“He’s scheduled to play tomorrow,” Martinez said. “We’ll see how he feels. If I need to give him a day or so, I will.”
After a slow start to his spring – he opened up 2-for-16 at the plate – Abrams has caught fire over the last week, going 7-for-14 with two doubles, a triple and a homer to raise his Grapefruit League batting average to .300.
Nasim Nuñez replaced Abrams today and played the rest of the game, going 2-for-4 to raise his spring batting average to .458 (11-for-24) with 10 runs scored and seven stolen bases.
The team’s Rule 5 Draft pick from a year ago has made significant strides and is making a push to make the Opening Day roster as a backup infielder and pinch-running specialist.
“From where I saw him last spring til now … the maturity level, the way he goes about his daily routine, everything has been really good,” Martinez said.
* Amed Rosario was a late scratch from the lineup after experiencing discomfort in his right knee during pregame drills.
Rosario, who was supposed to start at second base and bat eighth, was taking grounders during morning workouts and said his knee “didn’t feel right,” according to Martinez. He was pulled from the lineup and replaced by Cayden Wallace, who also played the full game.
“Just precautionary,” Martinez said. “He got treatment and stuff. He doesn’t feel horrible. He said if it was during the season, he’d be playing. So we’re going to leave him back (from the upcoming road trip), and he’ll have some treatment and we’ll see if we can get that to calm down a little bit.”
* MacKenzie Gore enjoyed a strong and efficient afternoon on the mound, tossing 5 1/3 scoreless innings on 72 pitches.
The left-hander was making only his second official Grapefruit League start, having instead pitched on back fields to teammates and minor leaguers, but looked sharp in becoming the Nationals’ first starter to reach the sixth inning this spring.
Gore did open this start with walks to two of the first three batters he faced. But he shrugged those off and got an inning-ending, 3-6-1 double play. He induced two more double plays during his outing, allowing him to stay out of any real trouble.
“I wasn’t really upset, just cause I threw those the way I wanted to,” Gore said of the two walks he issued to Houston leadoff man Cooper Hummel. “The one to (No. 3 batter Victor) Caratini was just not a good at-bat. But the other two, I felt like I threw good pitches. I guess they weren’t strikes.”
Gore’s ability not to let those walks rattle him, something that often plagued him the last two seasons, was noticed by his manager.
“Very proud of the way he just kind of said: ‘OK, I’ve got to get this next guy,’” Martinez said. “Before, it would’ve been a bit different. But he got to that next pitch, and he was really good.”
* Trevor Williams also pitched today, facing minor league hitters on one of the back fields. The veteran right-hander completed six innings, easily his longest outing of the spring.