Alu embracing daily change of positions

TORONTO – Jake Alu tries not to stress about it. He knows when he arrives at the ballpark on any given day, he could be playing any one of three different positions on the field. Or not be playing at all. At this point, there’s no sense overanalyzing it.

“I don’t really think about that too much,” he said. “It’s more like: Whatever I am that day, just go out there and get it done.”

That’s exactly the kind of attitude that has convinced the Nationals to use Alu as a true utilityman despite his extremely limited amount of big league experience. These kinds of jobs are usually reserved for veterans who already know how to succeed in the majors, not rookies with barely one month of service time.

Alu, though, has taken well to his unusual assignment. Tonight, he makes his eighth start of the season in left field, one night after he made his 12th start at second base, having also played in three games at third base.

“You’ve got to embrace it,” manager Davey Martinez said. “And he’s done it really well.”

The 26-year-old rookie has kind of always prepared for something like this. Undersized at 5-foot-10, 186 pounds and perpetually overlooked by scouts, the 24th round pick from Boston College has worked his way up the organizational ladder by proving his defensive versatility while maintaining a quality bat.

Alu has done a nice job at the offensive part, going 10 for his last 35, with a .721 OPS and 11 RBIs in 68 plate appearances since returning from Triple-A Rochester at the start of the month. And he’s holding his own in the field, particularly from his less familiar perch in left field.

“This whole year has been kind of a learning experience in terms of that for me,” he said. “Previously it’s been a lot of the same position for a while. I think last year, I was at third base the whole year, and then I went to second base for an extended period of time. So it was always set. It’s a learning experience. I’m figuring out ways to deal with that, every day learning ways to get better.”

The biggest concern for someone in Alu’s situation – essentially, an infielder learning how to play the outfield – is not to alter his throwing motion when he switches positions.

“We tell him a lot about not changing his release point, per se,” Martinez said. “I know it’s a little different when you’re turning double plays. But he’s been really good about keeping his arm in good shape.”

That’s easier said than done, considering throws from second base never travel more than 90 feet while throws from left field have to cover far greater distances.

“For sure, it’s definitely tough,” he said. “You just have to find a routine.”

If he wants to stick up here, though, Alu knows this is going to have to be the way. His odds of becoming an everyday starter at one position are probably slim. His odds of staying as a utilityman who can contribute in a variety of ways are much higher.

And that’s something he has not only accepted, but embraced.

“I think my whole career, I usually started out this way, bouncing around,” he said. “I kind of did it in college. Usually, I end up finding a spot. But more or less, I’m there to help the team win. Whatever I can do, I just want to help the team win.”