Rendon misses another rehab game, Williams responds to Gonzalez on Escobar injury

ATLANTA - Infielder Anthony Rendon's minor league rehab stint is on hold again at Double-A Harrisburg. Last night, Rendon was a late scratch after having trouble loosening up his injured left knee. He won't play tonight due to a completely new issue.

"Today he reported to the stadium and felt a little tightness kind of in his side, so we want to make sure we don't mess with stuff like that," Nationals manager Matt Williams said. "I think he's fine, it's just a question at this point of not rushing him too fast."

Rendon's rehab game progression was scheduled to have the fourth-year pro complete a full nine innings tonight. But that plan was before he was supposed to play seven last night. Rendon, who appeared to be on track to return to the Nats this weekend, has not played since he went 1-for-2 in seven innings on Saturday night in Harrisburg.

"They've got a noon game tomorrow, so weather will hopefully be a little warmer for him, get him going, but I don't think it's a huge issue," Williams said. "He felt it a little bit and said he was a little tight in his side today, so given our spring training and what has happened thus far, we don't want to take a chance. Get him some treatment, get him going again. I think he'll be good."

The good news from Williams was that Rendon's knee is better today. The 24-year-old did not test it on the field or in batting practice, instead he underwent aggressive treatment, according to Williams.

Not only is Rendon's return delayed again after being seemingly around the corner, but Williams is now without third baseman Yunel Escobar. Braves shortstop Andrelton Williams sliced Escobar's left hand with his spikes on a nasty slide in the fifth inning last night.

"He's sore. Scraped up pretty good, but he's OK," Williams said. "If he had to play today, he probably could, but that would only be in emergency situations today."

Escobar is expected to miss tomorrow's game, as well. Infielder Danny Espinosa will make the third start of his career at third base tonight. The Nats are left with a thin bench if they run into any further infield issues this evening.

"We do have Tyler Moore that can take over at third, as well," Williams said. "So we got options. We don't want to get those options. We don't want to go there again. Hopefully, it's clean for us tonight. We get through and we win the game and worry about Yunel tomorrow."

There certainly is a bit of controversy surrounding the Simmons slide that injured Escobar. In the seventh, Nats reliever Rafael Martin plunked Williams with the first pitch of the at-bat in apparent retaliation to what the Nats thought was a dirty slide.

After the game, Williams declined to comment, but Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez chose to deal with it.

"He just slid a little late to third base, that's all," Gonzalez told reporters. "Sometimes, you slide a little crazy. There was nothing malicious about it. I'm surprised, really, at how they reacted, but maybe I shouldn't be surprised."

Today, Williams responded to Gonzalez.

"Everybody's entitled to their opinion," Williams said. "I know this: If I'm trying to beat the ball to third base, I try to beat the ball. If I'm trying to take the man out at the base, I slide past the base. That's all. Everybody saw the play. So my reaction is ... we never want to lose one of our guys on a play like that. When you're trying to beat the ball to the base, you slide into the base, not past the base."