An emotional blur of a day for Adam Eaton

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - There were smiles and knowing glances all morning from teammates and other well-wishers. There was an expanded, 90-minute warmup session. Then four adventurous innings in left field that included a couple of tough plays complicated by the wind. And, of course, two at-bats against major league pitchers, the second of which ended with a celebratory trip around the bases and an acknowledgement of the 10 family members watching (and, in some cases, crying) from the stands.

Suffice it to say, there was a lot for Adam Eaton to process at the end of his first big league game since he tore the ACL in his left knee nearly 11 months ago.

"Today's been kind of a blur," the Nationals outfielder said. "But it's a big step for all of us."

In truth, what Eaton did today wasn't all that different from what he had done several times in the last few weeks on minor league fields outside FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. He had taken 50-60 at-bats, in his estimation, and had homered multiple times. He had run the bases, sliding when necessary. And he had played the field.

And yet this was a significant difference, not because of what Eaton actually did but because of the setting he did it in.

"It's been a long time since I've been in a game of that nature, even spring training," he said. "To be able to do it and check off those boxes was big. It was a big day overall, everywhere. The home run, yes. But defensively to be able to do that, and to run the bases as well, stand on my feet for four innings was big. Like I said, a lot of boxes checked off."

None bigger than Eaton's third-inning blast to right-center off an 0-1 pitch from Mets right-hander Rafael Montero, a solo homer that left the crowd of 6,652 roaring and teammates busting the chops of a guy who normally bats leadoff but was placed in the third position on manager Davey Martinez's lineup card today.

"I started laughing," Martinez said. "I can hear everybody screaming in the dugout: 'No. 3 hitter!' But he looked really good. I was very happy and excited for him. He waited a long time to get back on the field, and he looked great."

It was indeed a long wait for Eaton, who since suffering his gruesome injury trying to beat out a grounder on April 28 had been left to watch the vast majority of the 2017 season from the outside, then ease his way back in this spring while teammates were full-go from the day they arrived in Florida.

That would be no easy task for anybody, but especially for the always antsy Eaton.

"Yes, I hear him in there. I know he's driving the trainers crazy," said Michael A. Taylor, who made his own return today after missing two weeks with a mild right side tweak. "They're ready for him to get back out there. But it's good. I think that's why he's feeling so good and why he's gotten back so quickly and as strong as he is right now."

It wasn't a blemish-free performance by Eaton, who understandably looked a little tentative on a couple of tough plays he faced in left field. But he's got 12 more days to work out the kinks and get more comfortable in all aspects of the game before he faces the biggest test of all: opening day in front of 40,000 fans in Cincinnati.

"These guys (the trainers) are magicians with the history of people that have had knee injuries or whatever it is," Eaton said. "They know exactly how much time we need. They know exactly what they can fit in in a certain amount of time to meet goals and be ready for opening day. So it's going to ramp up quick, and we're going to be flying."

Eaton might as well have been flying in the bottom of the third this afternoon when he rounded the bases and then motioned to his family in the stands. His young son was there. So was his wife, who is due to give birth to the couple's second son in May.

That's when it hit everyone just what today meant.

"There wasn't a dry eye," Eaton said. "It's been a long 10 months-plus, and just to be able to have that hit in general is big for me and my family. And my family here (motioning around the Nationals clubhouse). They're as much my family as my family back home. So, a big day for us."