Murphy reportedly agrees to join Team USA for WBC

Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy has reportedly agreed to join Team USA for the upcoming World Baseball Classic, making him the first of the team's position players to commit to the international tournament.

Murphy would join right-hander Max Scherzer, who previously accepted an invitation from Team USA manager Jim Leyland, who managed him with the Tigers. The only other Nationals player committed to play in the WBC is left-handed reliever Oliver Perez, who will pitch for his native Mexico.

The 31-year-old Murphy enjoyed a stellar first season in Washington after agreeing last offseason to a three-year, $37.5 million contract with the Nationals. That deal occurred after the Nationals had reportedly agreed to a trade for Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips only to have Phillips block the move by refusing to waive his no-trade clause.

Murphy enjoyed a career year in 2016, establishing personal highs with a .347 batting average (second in the National League), 25 home runs and 104 RBIs, and leading the NL with 47 doubles, a .595 slugging percentage and a .985 OPS, also career marks. He finished second to the Cubs' Kris Bryant in the NL MVP balloting and won a Silver Slugger.

But a slow-healing upper left leg injury limited Murphy to three regular season at-bats after Sept. 17, perhaps costing him the hitting title. The problem, often referred to as a glute strain, may have started as a hamstring problem earlier in the season that never fully healed.

Murphy said earlier this month at Nats Winterfest that he has been focusing his offseason workouts on glute exercises and stabilization drills to prevent a recurrence of the problem.

"It's going to be something I've got to be diligent about because it could potentially be reoccurring," said Murphy. "I think I've got to be, in my older age, a little more diligent in certain areas of the game. ... Try to take care of the body now, not that I'm an old man."

Working closely with the team's medical and training staffs, Murphy has been trying to set the stage for a healthy 2017 by doing work that "takes the pressure off the hamstrings."

"I'm more focused from laying the foundation, probably, from a lower-body standpoint," Murphy said. "Whereas I probably would have gone and maybe started hitting a couple of times a week by now, but I'm not. I'm hitting a little bit, but I'm kind of staying away from that right now. Trying to lay the foundation."

Playing in the WBC means that Murphy could be away from the Nationals from March 9-22, though players return to spring training with their major league teams once their WBC club is eliminated from competition. Team USA plays its first-round games in Miami, close to the Nationals' new spring training complex in West Palm Beach, Fla. In the opening-round games, the United States will compete with Canada, Columbia and the Dominican Republic, with the winner advancing to pool play in San Diego from March 14-19. The championship round is scheduled for March 20-22 in Los Angeles.

Missing time for the WBC means Murphy will miss, for at least a portion of spring training, the opportunity to play alongside Trea Turner, who will be the Nationals' regular shortstop next season after splitting time between shortstop, second base and center field in 2016. Murphy's absence will also open up more playing time for Wilmer Difo, who is positioned to make the club as a backup infielder unless the Nationals sign a veteran to fill that role.

MLB.com first reported that Murphy would play for Team USA in the WBC.