Injury updates on Murphy, Rendon, Eaton and Kelley

Here is a rundown on the latest injuries the Nationals are dealing with after 25 games.

Nationals manager Davey Martinez put Andrew Stevenson in the starting lineup because Michael A. Taylor is dealing with a sore groin.

"He's fine. Little scare with his groin," Martinez said of Taylor. "Did it on a check swing. But he's available today. I just want to make sure that he's OK, so we gave him another day.

"It was a cramp. ... I just want him to be cautious and make sure that's all it was. He came in and did all his work and felt good so late in game we could use him."

Third baseman Anthony Rendon (left toe contusion) is eligible to come off the 10-day disabled list Sunday.

"Feels really, really good," Martinez said. "He's supposed to do all the baseball activities today, so we'll see where he's at after."

Judging by his pregame throwing program, Rendon looks to me to be on track for activation for the final game of this series.

Left fielder Adam Eaton (left ankle bone bruise) remains a question mark. Martinez said doctor's appointments have filled up Eaton's day.

"He's here," Martinez said. "He's going to get re-evaluated today by the doctor and then we'll see where he's at after that."

Martinez said the Nationals have been limiting his baseball activities because Eaton has had an up-and-down recovery.

"It's like a touch-and-go thing," Martinez said. "It's kind of weird. One day, he says he feels good, and one day, he says it's sore. We want him to see the doctor again."

President of baseball operations and general manager Mike Rizzo said there have been some positive steps in the recovery.

"His ankle has been improving," Rizzo said. "We're hopeful that it's not too far down the road and that he can help us."

Rizzo downplayed speculation that Eaton has suffered a setback in his ankle rehab.

"There hasn't been a further injury," Rizzo said. "We referred him back to the doctor that saw him originally just to get an update on where he's at so we can feel comfortable pushing him into baseball activities more."

Right-hander Shawn Kelley's arm appeared to go limp after he threw a pitch into the ground in front of home plate April 23 at San Francisco. He was put on the disabled list the next day with right elbow irritation.

"He says he feels good," Martinez said. "But we'll see. Feeling good and being able to throw are two different things so we'll see where he's at here in a few days."

Will Kelley undergo any tests?

"No," Martinez said. "Granted he's had two Tommy Johns. It's his elbow. So we are just trying to be careful."

The tenderness Kelley has felt in his elbow is not a new problem. So the Nationals want to take his recovery methodically and make sure he is at full strength before returning.

"He had the ulnar issue, which he gets quite a bit," Rizzo said. "We are going to let it settle down and see where he's at after that. He will start his throwing progression and hopefully get him back on the mound healthy again."

It was a very good sign to see Kelley on the field 75 minutes prior to first pitch doing some light tossing at the edge of the infield dirt in right field.

Rizzo had an update on the progress of second baseman Daniel Murphy (right knee surgery) in West Palm Beach. There had been some discussion last week in New York by Martinez that when Murphy is ready to return, he might be able to forego minor league rehab games and just rejoin the team.

Rizzo said there have not been discussions yet as to what the Nats will do when Murphy is fully recovered from the microfracture surgery.

"When we get to that point, it'll be the happiest conversation - when we get to the point where we are going to go on a rehab assignment or we are going to keep him right there," Rizzo said.

"We are not there yet."

With injuries slowing down Kelley and Matt Grace (left groin strain), the Nationals could use some bullpen depth. Veteran right-hander Joaquin Benoit is also in Florida as he works his way back from a right forearm strain.

"Throwing program, began his throwing program," Rizzo said. "It's a throwing progression. We will build him up and then he will go on a rehab assignment. We hoping that he helps us and is the guy that we signed in the offseason."

Rizzo said the Nationals are not hanging their heads with 10 players on the disabled list.

"It's a grind, man. Nobody said it would be easy," Rizzo said. "We got a target on our back. We are the National League East champs and there are some good teams trying to chase us and get that title, so we've been grinding away. We're trying to play good baseball until we can get reinforcements and some of our really good players back in the lineup.

"I like the fact that younger players are getting opportunities and I think they've fared pretty well. We've played pretty well considering the lineups that we've had at times aren't the lineups we thought we were going to have end of April."