Despite taking a licking, Suzuki keeps on ticking

Kurt Suzuki has caught more than 1,400 games over 14 major league seasons, so he knows what he's getting himself into every time he squats behind the plate. It's going to be painful at times, and there's nothing he can do about that.

But it does seem like the 2020 season has been exceptionally painful for the Nationals catcher, who on a nightly basis has been taking errant pitches and foul balls off every corner of his body, protected or unprotected.

"I feel like as I've gotten older, it's gotten worse," he said Monday night with a chuckle. "Or maybe it just hurts worse as I've gotten older."

Whatever the case, it's impossible not to notice the beating Suzuki has been taking behind the plate this season. And impossible not to feel for the 36-year-old, who keeps going down in a heap but keeps popping back up to take more punishment.

"He's really a hot mess right now," manager Davey Martinez said during a Zoom session with reporters following Monday's 6-1 win over the Rays. "He goes in the training room and he has ice everywhere. But he loves to play the game. He loves to be out there. It takes a lot for him to come out of the game."

Yes, it does. Take the top of the fifth inning in this game. After taking a foul ball by Joey Wendle off his right leg, Suzuki went down to the ground and needed help from head athletic training Paul Lessard just to get back to his feet.

Unable at first to put weight on that leg, Suzuki still shook it off and retook his position. He then had to make a sliding stop of Max Scherzer's slider in the dirt to complete an inning-ending strikeout of Wendle, then make his way back to the dugout.

One inning later, Suzuki was running around the bases like nothing happened, participating in the Nationals' three-run rally to expand their lead.

"Zuk's a tough dude," Scherzer said. "All the catchers I've thrown to are real tough dudes. But Zuk's been taking some licks as of late. He's been banged up. But he still competes. He goes out there. He doesn't care. He wants to be in the game just as bad as anybody, even if he's hurt. He'd rather just sit there and grind through it. That's what I love about him."

Through all his pain behind the plate, Suzuki is still enjoying a productive season at the plate. After a 3-for-4 showing Monday, he's batting .293 with a .770 OPS that's just a tick below his output over the last three seasons. He even hit cleanup in this latest game, filling in while several regular middle-of-the-order hitters were sitting out with injuries.

"It's part of the territory," he said. "As long as I can get out there and help the team win, that's what I'll try to do."

And with longtime batterymate Aníbal Sánchez on the mound tonight, Suzuki almost certainly will be back behind the plate again, banged up and bruised but determined to do his job like he always does.

Even if he secretly is relieved to know this short season is approaching the finish line.

"Thank goodness it's only 60 games," he said with another laugh.