Denard Span undergoes surgery to repair core injury (updated)

VIERA, Fla. - Nationals center fielder Denard Span underwent surgery this morning to repair a right core muscle injury. Manager Matt Williams will provide an update on Span's recovery timetable later this morning in his pregame meeting with the media. There's no word yet on how the injury occurred.

Span is coming off hernia surgery in December. He showed up in Viera a few days early and hasn't been limited early in spring training.

"I feel pretty good," Span said while celebrating his 31st birthday on Feb 27. "Some days feel better than others, but overall I think I'm in a good place."

Span is coming off an outstanding season in 2014. His 184 hits tied Philadelphia's Ben Revere for most in the National League. For the year, Span batted .302 with 39 doubles and 31 stolen bases while once again playing stellar defense in center field. He is in the final year of his contract with the Nats.

Meanwhile, possible replacements for Span include Nate McLouth, Michael A. Taylor and Tony Gwynn Jr. McLouth, though, has yet to appear in a Grapefruit League game as he recovers from shoulder surgery. The veteran outfielder is on a throwing program as he rehabs and has still not been given full clearance to play, but he's able to take full batting practice.

The Nationals signed Gwynn to a minor league contract with an invitation to major league spring training last Monday. The 32-year-old has played parts of eight seasons in the majors with the Brewers, Padres, Dodgers and Phillies. He has a career .238 batting average, but hit just .152 in 80 games with the Phillies last year.

"He's got big league experience," Williams said of Gwynn. "He can play multiple outfield positions. He's got speed. He's come off the bench before, as well as started games. So he knows all of it. And that experience helps us. He certainly was available and expressed interest in playing for us and coming to spring training. So we're glad to have him."

Taylor is the most intriguing candidate. The 23-year-old highly touted prospect is considered the heir apparent to Span in center field. Taylor made his first start of the spring yesterday and his impact was immediately felt when he sent a first-pitch fastball deep over the left-center wall for a home run. He added a single as well, and is 3-for-5 through two games played this spring.

"The steps between last spring and this spring have been tremendous," Williams said. "The more accustomed he gets, the more at-bats he gets, the better he's going to be. The more breaking balls he sees, the more fastballs he sees, it's all better for him."

Update: Span used his Twitter account to offer an update for his surgery, which apparently was successful:

Everything went well with the surgery. #godisgood

— Denard Span (@thisisdspan) March 9, 2015