Loud blasts off Scott Sizemore's bat are hard to ignore

VIERA, Fla. - Opportunity is knocking for Scott Sizemore, and the 31-year-old is answering loudly.

Every time his bat connects with a pitch over the past week, Sizemore has made an emphatic statement. He may be one of many non-roster players in Nationals camp inked to minor league deals, but the veteran of four major league campaigns who signed late last season and finished 2015 at Triple-A Syracuse is making the most of his chances to impress.

A well-struck double in Sunday's win over the Cardinals in Jupiter was just the latest in a flurry of extra-base hits Sizemore has produced. He's hitting .571 this spring, and three of his four hits have been extra-base knocks.

He's got two home runs - a three-run go-ahead shot that helped the Nats win their exhibition opener over the Rays and a tiebreaking solo blast on Saturday against the Tigers - and a staggering 2.238 OPS. More amazingly, that mark is only second on the team to Ben Revere's 2.250 OPS.

Even if Sizemore weren't a feel-good story, a Virginia Beach, Va., native and VCU product trying to revive his career in Washington, those are the kind of numbers that make a manager giddy, regardless of whether he's batting against an established major leaguer or a kid who's never pitched above Single-A on the mound.

"It doesn't matter - you still gotta hit it," Nats skipper Dusty Baker said. "You're not (always) going to be facing some of the best pitchers in the game. He's been impressive. I didn't know much about him. ... The ball does jump off his bat."

What Baker has learned is that Sizemore has a strong work ethic.

"In the morning, when I get there, I feel like I'm getting there early and I feel like I'm late when he's in there hitting already," Baker said. "He pays attention, he stays ready. These are the guys you pull for in spring training."

Baker said assistant hitting coach Jacque Jones remembered Sizemore from their days in Detroit, and offered a positive report.

"He's not a spring chicken, but he's not an older player either," Baker said. "He's approaching his prime."

Sizemore is a career .240/.327/.383 hitter who has admittedly had trouble staying healthy. Three seasons have been interrupted by significant injuries.

In 2009, with his stock rising with the Tigers, Sizemore went to play in the Arizona Fall League, where he broke his left ankle in a collision. The injury required surgery, with screws stabilizing the joint, but Sizemore was ready for spring training in 2010. He rode the shuttle between Triple-A and Detroit until he was traded to the A's in May 2011.

He missed the entire 2012 season after February surgery to repair a torn ACL in his left knee, then re-tore the same ligament in the same knee the following April, causing him to miss the remainder of the 2013 season. Since coming back, he's bounced to the Yankees, Marlins and Nationals.

Forcing his way onto the 25-man opening day roster won't be easy for Sizemore, who must bump someone from one of the five bench spots. Catcher Jose Lobaton, first baseman/outfielder Clint Robinson and outfielder Michael A. Tayor own three of the spots. Stephen Drew can probably lock up a backup infield role, assuming Trea Turner starts the season at Triple-A. That leaves one spot. Baker likes having guys who can successfully pinch-hit coming off his bench, and he might favor someone like outfielders Reed Johnson or Matt den Dekker over first baseman/outfielder Tyler Moore, who has trouble pinch-hitting and is out of options.

Sizemore's chances are enhanced if one of the regulars ends up on the disabled list at the start of the season, with Ryan Zimmerman becoming an possible candidate, since Baker says he's at least "a couple of weeks" away from playing in spring training games while the Nats try to manage plantar fasciitis in his left foot. Sizemore doesn't have a ton of pinch-hitting experience, but he is 4-for-8 with two homers in that role.

Or perhaps Sizemore just keeps hitting and forces his way onto the club at someone else's expense. Think about it: Who really expected Dan Uggla to break camp with the Nats last spring? Sizemore has played second, third and first bases in the majors and has experience at shortstop in the minor leagues. Since Baker also values versitiity, someone who can play multiple positions and swing a professional bat is particularly attractive in a bench role.

"All I can do is give him an opportunity," Baker said.

MIAMI MARLINS AT WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Space Coast Stadium, Viera
Gametime: 1:05 p.m EST
TV: None
Radio: None
Weather: Partly sunny, 74 degrees, winds 13 mph toward right field