Sent home sick, Jayson Werth misses first workout

By Mark Zuckerman

Nationals

February 25, 2016, 9:31am

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VIERA, Fla. - The Nationals' first full-squad workout of the spring came and went without one of the club's most recognizable players in attendance.

Jayson Werth was absent from this morning's workout on the fields outside Space Coast Stadium due to an illness that left the veteran outfielder in bed.

"We sent him home," manager Dusty Baker said. "He was sick. So we quarantined him. We didn't want him to spread it."

Werth had appeared at the stadium several times earlier this week, reporting one day before the official date for position players, and participated in informal workouts. Today represented the first organized workout for the entire roster.

"I've seen it different springs, man," Baker said. "It can spread through the clubhouse, and next thing you know you've got a whole sick ward. So we just wanted him to go home and then come back hopefully tomorrow."

The 36-year-old Werth is coming off a disappointing season that included a two-month DL stint with a broken right wrist and career lows in batting average (.221), on-base percentage (.302) and OPS (.685) over 88 games.