Kieboom learning how to cope with big league struggles

The Nationals don't take lightly the decision to call up a top prospect. It's not as simple as promoting a young player because his minor league stats jump off the page. There's a mental component to it as well, and they've got a pretty good track record at knowing the right time to summon budding stars like Bryce Harper, Anthony Rendon and Juan Soto to the majors.

And they believe they picked the right time to summon Carter Kieboom to take over for the injured Trea Turner at shortstop.

"You have to have the temperment to do it," general manager Mike Rizzo said last weekend. "You have to have the makeup to accept failure, because this is a game of failure, and have the inner confidence that you belong in the big leagues. We felt (Harper, Rendon and Soto) had them early on in their careers. We feel Carter is the same way. We feel that he's not going to be overwhelmed with the promotion."

What, then, to make of Kieboom's first week in the majors? It got off to a rousing start, with a game-tying homer in his debut and then another game-tying homer two days later to help the team rally from six runs down.

But things have devolved since then, and they reached a low point during Wednesday's 5-1 loss to the Cardinals, when Kieboom made two costly mistakes in the field that allowed a total of three runs to score, while also going 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts.

Six games into his career, the 21-year-old prospect is hitting .136 (3-for-22) with nine strikeouts. Outside of the two homers, he's done very little of note at the plate. And he's been charged with two errors at shortstop, to go along with a couple other shaky plays that most big league shortstops would've made.

"It is frustrating, especially when you're out here and we're trying to win ballgames right now and you're not able to contribute," he said. "It's extremely frustrating. But it's something you get over, and you realize it's going to happen - and it's going to happen a lot. It's a game of failure, and all I can do is sleep tonight and get ready for tomorrow."

In explaining four weeks ago why the club didn't call up Kieboom from Triple-A as soon as Trea Turner fractured his index finger, Rizzo said the young shortstop still needed to refine his work in the field. Though they were impressed with much of what they saw this spring in his first big league camp, Nationals coaches knew Kieboom still needed defensive improvement.

Those fears have proven justified in the last week. But just as concerning have been his struggles at the plate since his rousing opening weekend, as major league pitchers figure out how to exploit his weaknesses.

"They pitch you differently (than in the minors), but it's not something I've never seen before," Kieboom said. "It is what it is. It's unfortunate, is what it is. But it's part of the game as well. I'm not going to sugarcoat anything. Yeah, I should definitely be doing better. But at the same time, it's not something I can sit here and hold my head down about and carry into the next day and next at-bat."

Where do the Nationals go from here? Again, when they call a top prospect up, they play them. And they don't cut the cord quickly and ship them back to the minors.

It's quite possible Kieboom will get today's series finale off, but he's most likely going to be back at shortstop when the Nationals open a daunting road trip through Philadelphia, Milwaukee and Los Angeles.

They wouldn't have brought him up if they didn't think he could handle it, the good and the bad. They're about to find out if they made the right decision.

"For a 21-year-old kid, he is really poised," manager Davey Martinez said. "And he understands the game, and he's learning. He's learning how to play up in the major leagues. But we have to stay positive with him and keep going."