Revere makes trip, no timetable set for his return

PHILADELPHIA - Injured outfielder Ben Revere made the trip here with his teammates. Revere is on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to April 5, due to a stained right oblique suffered in the first game of the season at Atlanta.

But Nationals manager Dusty Baker does not know when Revere will be healthy enough to return to the lineup.

"I just looked at the reports," Baker said. "They say he's doing better. But I haven't talked to him and I haven't talked to director of athletic training) Paul (Lessard) about it. Not that I don't care, it's just that you got other stuff to do and they'll let me know when he gets closer."

Baker wanted Revere with the team on the seven-game road trip so he can work closely with the Nationals training staff. Revere played for the Phillies from 2013-15, a span of 335 games.

"I wanted him to come on this road trip to be part of the team and also see what he can see, and if there's anything he can tell us, which he hasn't yet," Baker said. "You know just to be part of the team. I believe, not just like football, if you're not eligible, they kind of discard you off to the side. He's a big part of this team."

Revere's replacement in the lineup, Michael A. Taylor, is back in the starting lineup in center field and leading off. Baker said it was good to get Chris Heisey and Matt den Dekker in the lineup Thursday to rest Taylor and Jayson Werth.

"He's going to be back no matter what Heisey did," Baker said. "It was just a matter we had to get Heisey in there, and we had to get den Dekker in there. It was a good day to work. (Taylor) hit almost the whole game. You wouldn't have had the opportunity to do that had he been playing because you got to save your energy for the game, and it is usually takes about 24 hours for your body to memorize the act of doing it right."

Baker said he was stressing patience with Taylor earlier in the week. Taylor has struck out a team-leading eight times in 29 at-bats and his on-base percentage is .133.

Today, Baker spoke about what Taylor focused on yesterday while working in the cage during the game.

"Probably pitch selection and being aggressive in the strike zone," Baker said. "Most of the time, when you're not going well, you take a good swing and then a bad one. And also when you're not going well you foul balls off that you normally hit. You tend not to be as aggressive. Just like I told my son, when in doubt, attack that fastball."