The last couple days, Jayson Werth has been back in his familiar spot in right field.
OK, it's only been during batting practice, as Werth has been shagging fly balls of the bats of his teammates. But still, Werth has at least started to return to baseball activities more than eight weeks after breaking his left wrist in a game against the Phillies.
Werth still feels a little discomfort in his wrist when he extends it in a hitting motion, so the team won't have him start swinging a bat just yet, but catching fly balls is a nice first step.
"I talked to him yesterday, he was looking pretty good shagging out in right field," manager Davey Johnson said. "I would think he's not going to be doing too much swinging or anything like that until after the (All-Star) break."
Even though Werth hasn't been in the Nationals' lineup for some time, he's found a way to make an impact on the team.
He's around during home games and spends time talking with Bryce Harper, trying to help the rookie along in his development. And he's continued his typical hijinks, as well; Werth hit Harper with a shaving cream pie during the 19-year-old's live TV interview after yesterday's game.
Johnson got a positive report on Chad Tracy, who made his first rehab appearance for Single-A Potomac last night. Tracy went 0-for-3 with a sacrifice fly and a walk, and Johnson said he "he came through it all right" health-wise.
Tracy will play three to five innings today. He'll hit second for the P-Nats and play third base. Johnson said he hopes to give Tracy a pretty good workload on his rehab assignment before activating him, even though Tracy will only be needed for one at-bat during most games once he returns to the Nats.
"With that kind of injury, I'd like him to get used to playing nine innings, because I do like to keep him fresh by playing nine innings," Johnson said. "He needs the at-bats, the repetitions of the at-bats to help his timing."
Finally, if you're coming to Nats Park tonight or watch the game on TV, things will look a little different. The Nats will pay tribute to the 1924 Washington Senators (also known to as the Nationals) by hosting Turn Back the Clock Night.
Both the Nationals and Giants will wear 1924 replica jerseys, the grounds crew is dressed in full 1920s attire and the ceremonial first pitch will feature an authentic game-used ball from Game 6 of the 1924 World Series. This super-old ball will be thrown from behind the Nationals dugout, which is how ceremonial first pitches used to be handled.
Asked his thoughts on the old-school threads his team will wear, Johnson joked: "I'm just happy that I'm not so old that I don't recognize that uniform."
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