Winker makes the most of reduced playing time

All morning, he waited, knowing he was likely to be summoned at some point before the end of the game. Davey Martinez was just waiting for the right moment to signal Jesse Winker to step to the plate.

“He was biting at the bit, I can tell you that,” Martinez said. “He said: ‘I’ll be ready.’ Oh, I know you’ll be ready.”

Winker has been one of the Nationals’ most consistently productive offensive players this season, and in recent weeks he has become their regular No. 3 hitter. But that’s mostly against right-handers. And with the Mets starting three lefties during this week’s four-game series, that meant a lot of time sitting on the bench and waiting for the call.

Thursday’s series finale featured left-hander Jose Quintana on the mound for New York, so it was the right-handed Harold Ramirez batting third and serving as designated hitter. But the moment Mets manager Carlos Mendoza pulled his starter and inserted righty Adrian Houser for the bottom of the eighth, Winker knew his name was about to be called.

“You’re kind of just watching the game, paying attention and seeing when a moment might arise,” he said. “And then you go and prepare and talk a gameplan. I talked to (assistant hitting coach) Chris Johnson about a quick gameplan, went up and just tried to barrel a ball.”

Winker absolutely barreled a ball. His pinch-hit homer off Houser produced the only run of Thursday’s game, propelling the Nationals to a 1-0 victory and a joyous celebration on Independence Day in the nation’s capital.

The matchup was about as perfectly suited for Winker as it gets. He had already faced Houser 23 times in his career, almost all of those coming when he played for the Reds and Houser pitched for the Brewers. His numbers against Houser: 9-for-22 with five homers.

Make it 10-for-23 with six homers now.

Upon launching his 407-foot shot to right-center, Winker looked back at the Nats’ dugout. Then after completing his trip around the bases, he stopped at the plate, put his hand on his chest and then saluted the service men and women watching the game from the nearby club level.

“I kind of just thought of it and did it,” he said.

Winker is only the second Nationals player to reach double-digits in homers this season; he trails only team leader CJ Abrams, who has hit 13. His 39 RBIs rank fourth on the club. His .377 on-base percentage ranks eighth in the National League.

And yet the 30-year-old is actually starting to receive less playing time than he did earlier in the season. James Wood’s arrival earlier this week bumped Winker from the starting left field job to a split DH role with Ramirez.

It’s possible he could now get some reps at first base after the team optioned the struggling Joey Meneses to Triple-A Rochester following Thursday’s game. But that’s a position he’s never played in a major league game. And he’d probably be bumped by Joey Gallo anyway once he returns from a hamstring injury.

Winker’s not complaining. He made the Opening Day roster off a minor league contract signed at the start of spring training. He was never guaranteed of anything. He’s earned every bit of playing time he has received to date. And he wants to make sure he continues to earn whatever starts he gets now.

“Look, it’s my job to be ready if it’s my turn,” he said. “That’s what my job is. It’s what my job has always been. Whenever the bell’s rung for me to play, I’ll be ready for it. James Wood, he’s such an unbelievable talent. He’s off to such a great start already, and he’s going to have such a wonderful career. To see him get out there and do his thing, that’s a privilege as well. It’s really fun to watch him play.”