Span out for Game 1, Kobernus gets first big league start

With his right foot still bothering him after he fouled a ball off it in the 10th inning of yesterday's loss to the Twins, Denard Span will not play in the first game of today's doubleheader. Span will get his foot checked out by team medical personnel, and manager Davey Johnson told his center fielder that he'll need him for Game 2 of the doubleheader. Assuming Span is feeling OK later today, he'll try and play through the soreness in that foot. In Game 1, however, it'll be Jeff Kobernus taking over Span's usual role. Kobernus will lead off and play center field. This is the first major league start for the 24-year-old, who has played just nine career minor league games in center field. Kobernus is a natural second baseman, as is Steve Lombardozzi, who will play left field today. So, to recap, the Nationals have three second basemen in the lineup for Game 1, and the one who is actually playing second - Anthony Rendon - has played 10 games at second base in his professional career. In four games since getting called up two weeks ago, Kobernus is 0-for-2 with a hit by pitch. For the Nats CF Jeff Kobernus LF Steve Lombardozzi 3B Ryan Zimmerman RF Jayson Werth 1B Adam LaRoche SS Ian Desmond 2B Anthony Rendon 2B Kurt Suzuki RHP Jordan Zimmermann For the Twins 3B Eduardo Escobar LF Clete Thomas C Ryan Doumit 1B Justin Morneau RF Chris Parmelee CF Aaron Hicks 2B Brian Dozier SS Pedro Florimon LHP Scott Diamond