Heading into free agency, Denard Span reacts after disappointing season

Of all the injuries the Nationals sustained this year, none were arguably as damaging as those Denard Span suffered. The veteran center fielder's season began on the disabled list after undergoing offseason hernia surgery last December followed by core muscle surgery early in spring training.

Despite missing opening day and the first two weeks of the season, Span sped up his recovery to rejoin his teammates. He was playing All-Star-caliber baseball through his first 33 games, delivering his normal show-stopping catches and batting .314. Span even smacked five early homers, leading the 31-year-old to joke with reporters that he had found "old man strength."

But back spasms interrupted Span's season during a game on June 7 and they lingered for the next month until he was forced back to the DL. During his time off, the doctors discovered a torn labrum in Span's left hip. He received a couple more cortisone shots and attempted to play through the pain when he returned to a standing ovation at Nationals Park on Aug. 25.

Span only made it two games before the hip pain caused him to hang up his spikes for the season. In what was likely his final game in a Nationals uniform, the free-agent-to-be went 2-for-5 with two doubles. He finished the year slashing .301/.365/.431 over 61 contests.

"It's been tough," a dejected Span said standing in front of his locker on Aug. 29. "Just the timing of it. Just every aspect. It's been a terrible eight months for me."

In an appearance on MLB Network Radio's "Power Alley" on SiriusXM on Monday, Span expounded on the difficulties of the year.

"I feel like it totally came from the two sports hernia surgeries that I had early on, starting off during the offseason last year and then into spring training." Span told hosts Mike Ferrin and Mike Stanton. "I probably came back a little too early from both of the injuries and I think it just led to the hip giving in to me. That was me trying to hurry back and help my team, and if I had to do it all over again, probably I would do the same thing, but it would have been smart if I would have taken a little bit more time."

Span's projected recovery period after the hip surgery was expected to last six months.

"It's going good, going really good," Span said on MLB Network Radio. "Everything is on track. If anything, it's probably ahead of schedule. The range of motion in my hip is getting there and just feeling good. Just ready to get going."

The Nationals are searching for a new manager after Matt Williams was dismissed on Oct. 5. Williams was Span's skipper for two of his three seasons in D.C.

"I thought that (Williams) did good," Span told MLB Network Radio. "I think he's obviously getting a lot of fall for our shortcomings, but you can't put it all on him. "Us, as the players, we've got to be accountable. We had a lot of bad things happen for us this past year. Had a lot of injuries: myself, Jayson Werth was out for a while, Anthony Rendon was out for a while, Stephen Strasburg was out multiple times.

"You don't want to point to that and use that as an excuse, but we just ... just nothing went well for us this year. It's unfortunate that Matt had to take the downfall for our shortcomings, and the reality of it is we all, top to bottom, came up short."

Span's first five years in the majors were played in Minnesota under former Twins skipper Ron Gardenhire, who was recently interviewed for the Nationals managerial vacancy.

Span, who hired Scott Boras as his agent in August, was asked if there is any possibility of returning to the Nationals in 2016.

"I'd just rather not go there," Span said on MLB Network Radio. "Technically, I'm not even a free agent yet, so I don't know what's going to happen, but they know my stance."

Michael A. Taylor, 24, filled in for Span during most of the season and is expected to be the Nationals center fielder of the future. In his first full season in the majors, the rookie Taylor slashed .229/.282/.358 with 14 homers and 63 RBIs.