Coaching staff remains out, Escobar returns to lineup

One week after learning they had tested positive for COVID-19, two remaining Nationals players, five coaches and four other staffers still have not been cleared to rejoin the club.

Manager Davey Martinez said the affected personnel are anxious to get back to work but are forced to remain away from the team until getting the green light from officials.

"Not yet. Nothing," Martinez said during his Zoom session with reporters prior to tonight's game against the Phillies. "We're still waiting to hear from the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)."

The Nationals had four players in total test positive last week while in Philadelphia: Trea Turner, Daniel Hudson, Austin Voth and Alex Avila. Turner and Hudson, of course, were then dealt away before Friday's trade deadline, though neither has been allowed to join his new club yet.

On top of that, five members of Martinez's coaching staff - bench coach Tim Bogar, pitching coach Jim Hickey, third base coach Bob Henley, first base coach Randy Knorr, assistant hitting coach Pat Roessler - also tested positive, in addition to four other members of the club's traveling staff.

All but one of the players and staff members who tested positive were vaccinated, Martinez said.

In their place, a number of minor league coaches have taken over with the big league team, including Double-A Harrisburg pitching coach Sam Narron, outfield and baserunning coordinator Gary Thurman, Triple-A hitting coach Brian Daubach and Gulf Coast League pitching coach Michael Tejera. Henry Blanco, normally the Nationals' bullpen coach, has taken over as third base coach. And Kyle Schwarber, then Jordy Mercer after Schwarber was traded, have served as ceremonial bench coach while on the injured list.

"Obviously, I miss those guys; we're pretty close," Martinez said of his usual coaches, who are still helping out as much as they can from home. "But until they're eligible to come back, Sam and Mikey and Thurman, they're all doing a good job. Henry's doing a great job over at third base. We all seem to be getting along just fine."

* Alcides Escobar is back in the Nationals lineup tonight after missing four games with a swollen right wrist, the byproduct of a pitch that struck him Friday night.

Escobar, who needed to have the wrist drained, underwent an MRI that came back negative. He was expecting to return tonight, but the Nats wanted him to go through a full round of pregame hitting and fielding drills before saying for sure.

After hitting in the cage, Escobar looked at his manager and gave him a thumbs-up. A few minutes later, the Nationals announced their lineup, with Escobar batting second and playing shortstop.

"He's in there, until he tells me otherwise," Martinez said prior to that. "But he says he feels pretty good."

* Stephen Strasburg has rejoined the club after having surgery last week for thoracic outlet syndrome.

The right-hander, who as recently as 10 days ago thought he was making progress in his rehab from a neck issue, will miss the rest of the season. The Nationals are hopeful he'll be ready for the start of spring training, but the track record for pitchers returning to full form from this surgery isn't great.

"He was in here today; he's rehabbing," Martinez said. "I haven't talked to him yet. I'll go in there sometime after batting practice and see how he's doing. He looks good, though. I know he's talked to some people, and I've heard through rumors that he feels pretty good."

Strasburg, who made only five starts this season, hasn't spoken to reporters since May 27, following his second-to-last outing before landing on the IL for the third time since signing a seven-year, $245 million extension after winning World Series MVP honors in 2019.