Nationals early camp roster capsule: Difo, Bautista, Abreu

Notes on a couple of more players that low Single-A Hagerstown manager Patrick Anderson has worked with in the past and at this year's early camp in Florida.

A pair of workhorses from last season, Rafael Bautista and Wilmer Difo, have been able to show their talents in Viera again.

Center fielder Bautista played in three spring training games with the Nationals and went 1-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI. The 22-year-old hit .290 in 134 games last season with 20 doubles, five triples, five homers and 54 RBIs. He also demonstrated impressive speed with 69 stolen bases, the best mark in all of the South Atlantic League by a wide margin.

"They love his speed, going first to third," Anderson said. "They are really working hard with his swing. Hitting coordinator Troy Gingrich is really getting after it with him. If he can be able to fine-tune some things there, he's beyond special."

Shortstop Difo was second in the South Atlantic with 49 stolen bases and sixth in hitting with a .315 average. Difo had 31 doubles, seven triples, 14 homers and 90 RBIs in 136 games for Hagerstown.

Difo played well in major league spring training, playing in 13 games with the Nationals, hitting .318 (7-for-22) with a double, a triple and four RBIs.

"Difo looks great," Anderson said. "He's very strong. He looks really, really determined and more mature this year."

Another shortstop that got work in early camp is Osvaldo Abreu. He hit .229 on the season for short-season Single-A Auburn, but surged at the end, going 15-42 (.357) with at least one hit in each of his final 12 games.

Anderson said Abreu is still working hard to get better on his work at the plate and would like to continue to get more consistency defensively.

"In the start two years ago, he scuffled a little bit, he tried to do too much," Anderson said. "I know he scuffled a little bit at Auburn early on and then he started getting better later on. Once he starts getting more games under his belt, settles down, he's going to be really, really good. You see the way he's going about his business is a little bit better now and he's more prepared for going into the long season."