Harrison glad to be active, glad to be an everyday player

Josh Harrison had been through this before. Sort of.

Upon signing with the Nationals shortly after opening day in 2020, the veteran utility man had to wait several days for his intake screening test - a test he says initially was lost - to be processed before he could actually join his new team.

"I had to stay in my room a few extra days 'cause my test got lost," he said during a Zoom session with reporters Tuesday. "So I've been in this situation before, not as long as this one was. But I was able to keep myself ready and watch the guys and wait for the protocol to end and get back."

Harrison's wait this year was nearly two weeks. One of nine players on the Nationals roster who either tested positive for COVID-19 or was deemed a close contact to someone else who did, he had to miss the opening series against the Braves, then the first road series in Los Angeles.

Like Josh Bell and Kyle Schwarber, Harrison was finally cleared to leave quarantine Sunday and flew to St. Louis on Monday morning to make his 2021 debut against the Cardinals. The feeling when he walked into the clubhouse, put on his uniform and took the field was one of relief.

"Taking the two weeks off was longer than I would've wanted," he said. "But it's something I've done before and know different tools to try to stay as ready as possible."

How did Harrison stay in shape? Well, he lugged suitcases up several flights of stairs upon moving into his Washington-area home for the season.

"I've got a lot of steps in my house," he said with a laugh. "Unloading my truck, I was able to take suitcases and clothes on hangers up and down multiple stairs. That was me getting active. And watching the game on TV or my iPad, I was standing there acting like I was getting at-bats. Anything I could use to try to keep myself ready."

Once he did take the field for the first time, Harrison dealt with the same anxiousness Bell and Schwarber experienced in their first couple of at-bats. But like his teammates, he settled in as Monday's game progressed. And by Tuesday, he appeared to feel right at home, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs in an otherwise miserable 14-3 loss at Busch Stadium.

Re-signed over the winter to a one-year deal that guarantees him $1 million, Harrison was projected to serve as a super-utility man for the Nationals, bouncing around between second base, third base, left field and anywhere else he was needed. But when Carter Kieboom labored all spring and lost the third base job that was supposed to be his, Harrison suddenly found himself as the Nats' starting second baseman (with Starlin Castro shifting to third).

It's a role the 33-year-old was prepared for all along.

"Coming into spring training, I always knew there was an opportunity to play multiple positions," he said. "But at the same time, I know the game. Anything can happen. I came into spring healthy. Last year, 60 games was enough for me to show I'm healthy and I can contribute. I just came into spring healthy and ready to help the team in any way possible."

Though he may yet find himself playing other positions, Harrison for now is only working at second base.

"I mean, he wants to play second every day, and we're going to put him out second base," manager Davey Martinez said. "But I also told him, too, there are going to be situations where we're going to have to move him to left field, might have to move him to center field, maybe play some third base. So he's aware of that."

As always, Harrison insists he's ready for whatever is asked of him. He's excited to be part of the daily lineup now, knowing he'll consistently be penciled in at second base. But he knows he's got the skills to move around the field as much as necessary.

"Not wanting to toot my own horn, but I think I make it look easy, so you see a lot of people try to do it," he said. "And it's certainly not easy, but it's something I've taken pride in. Knowing I can play so many different positions, I don't want the manager or even my teammates to feel like they're losing anything on the defensive side of the ball no matter what position I am. ...

"So I've always taken pride at getting the reps that I need, and knowing that when they see me playing different positions, they know this guy can be an everyday guy at any one of these positions. I just know the flexibility it gives a lineup and the manager."