With Robles sitting, Call gets nod in center over Thomas

Victor Robles is getting his first day off of the season tonight, which isn’t all that newsworthy on its own merits. The player who will take over in center field in Robles’ absence, though, is somewhat surprising: Alex Call.

Call is getting the nod in center for tonight’s game against the Orioles instead of Lane Thomas, who will remain in right field as he has been for each of the Nats’ first 17 games this season.

The reason: Manager Davey Martinez didn’t want to move Thomas out of his regular position for just one day, given how well he has played there since Opening Day.

“I could’ve swapped everyone around,” Martinez said. “But I thought the best thing to do was leave Lane where he’s comfortable, put Call in center and leave Stone Garrett where he’s comfortable.”

Garrett is in left field for the third straight game, the only outfield position he has played so far this season in the majors.

Thomas has seen considerable action in center field since joining the Nationals in August 2021, at times even replacing Robles as the starter there. But he shifted to right field full-time last August following Juan Soto’s trade to the Padres, and he has embraced the position ever since.

In 124 career games in center field, Thomas has minus-9 Defensive Runs Saved. In 89 games in right field, he has 4 DRS. He has six assists from right field in 60 games at the position since last season.

“His throws have been really, really good,” Martinez said. “His jumps are good. He plays right field really, really well.”

Though he has mostly played left field since joining the Nationals last summer, Call does have some center field experience, including the final two games of the 2022 season, plus several more this spring. He said he actually prefers it to the corner positions.

“It’s kind of easier, honestly,” he said. “You get to see the whole field easier. You’re straight-on. When you’re in left field, you don’t get to tell the movement of the pitch. You just see it and react. In center field, you’re on the balls of your feet. If the pitch is away, you can slide to that side and start your momentum, because most likely the batter is going to go that way. You get a better chance to have better jumps, I think, in center field.”

Robles, meanwhile, gets his first day off during what has already been an up-and-down season. He hit a robust .412/.487/.471 with five walks and only three strikeouts through his first 11 games, but he’s gone 1-for-18 with one walk and five strikeouts since.

With the team off Thursday in advance of a six-game road trip to Minnesota and New York, Robles will get a chance to rest for 48 hours.

“I wanted to get him off his feet, and give him tomorrow off as well,” Martinez said. “He’s been doing really, really well.”