Injuries won’t stop World Series chase as Nationals set sights on prize in October

The road to October is filled with potholes. And, for the Washington Nationals, it typically involves some sort of mechanical failure.

Another season will begin Monday afternoon at Nationals Park, when the Nationals host the New York Mets, and, once again, the group that takes the field for the season opener will include a collection of spare parts. Michael Taylor, not Denard Span, should start in center field. Tyler Moore, not Jayson Werth, should start in left field. Dan Uggla, a three-time All-Star who joined the team on a minor league deal, will likely start at second base. And at third, Anthony Rendon could be replaced by Yunel Escobar, a longtime shortstop who readjusted to second base earlier this spring before being asked to move again.

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In total, the Nationals will begin the 2015 season with five players on the disabled list: Rendon, Span, Werth, relief pitcher Casey Janssen and reserve outfielder Nate McLouth.

The injuries have put a slight damper on the lofty expectations that have followed the team since late January, when it signed marquee free agent Max Scherzer to a seven-year, $210 million deal. In the Nationals clubhouse, however, the odds-on World Series favorites are undeterred. Injuries are nothing new for this group.

“Everybody’s going to get hurt. Every team’s going to have injuries. Every team’s going to have adversity. But we’ve dealt with it,” closer Drew Storen said last week. “You look at [2012], we had injuries. Last year, we had injuries. All that does is give the supporting guys an opportunity to grow and develop and step up, and then, when those guys come back, they can play big roles too.”

The Nationals have won two National League East division titles in the past three seasons, all while navigating repeated injuries to important starters, particularly early in the season. In 2012, they began the year with four players — including Storen and starting left fielder Michael Morse — on the disabled list. In 2013, catcher Wilson Ramos and third baseman Ryan Zimmerman each strained a hamstring in the opening month. Last year, Ramos broke a bone in his left hand on Opening Day.

Altogether, 26 players who were on Washington’s Opening Day roster in the past three years have missed a total of 1,546 games.

“It gives us experience. The wrong experience — we don’t want that — but it shows us that we can compete, that we can go out and win a game regardless of who’s in the lineup,” manager Matt Williams said. “You want to have all your guys. That’s important. But if you don’t have them, our attitude is, well, OK, we’ve got to go win the game.”

Fortunately for Washington, most of its injured players this year are not expected to miss extended periods of time. Werth, who is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, and Span, who had sports hernia and abdominal surgeries, are each already playing in minor league games in Viera, Florida. Rendon has been diagnosed with a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee. Janssen has rotator cuff tendinitis in his right shoulder.

The Nationals will be buoyed by a healthy starting rotation that is considered one of the best in recent years. Scherzer, the 2013 American League Cy Young award winner, will start Opening Day, followed by two-time All-Star Jordan Zimmermann and former No. 1 overall pick Stephen Strasburg. Gio Gonzalez and Doug Fister, who would be top arms on most other major league pitching staffs, round out the group.

That rotation, and a deep minor league system ripe with potential fill-ins, is cause for optimism, even as injuries mount.

“They’re not going to win 120 games, you wouldn’t think, but I think pushing the 100-mark is a very doable thing,” said former Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz, who now works as an analyst for MLB Network. “I think the combination of offense and pitching and bullpen gives them the edge over most, because they have depth. They can sustain certain injuries that other clubs can’t.”

While their starters recover, the Nationals will lean on a mix of new additions and familiar faces, budding stars and trusty veterans. Taylor, who recently turned 24, is considered Span’s eventual successor in center field. Moore, 28, has been a mainstay on the bench for several years. On March 30, the team acquired two key bench players, trading for outfielder Matt den Dekker and signing Reed Johnson, a 12-year veteran, as a free agent. Uggla and Clint Robinson, nonroster invitees essentially asked to try out for the team, will also be on the Opening Day roster.

Regardless of who takes the field for Washington early in the season, and in what capacity, Williams and his players remain confident. In their eyes, no sprain or bruise can keep them from their ultimate goal of winning the World Series.

“The important thing is honestly looking at the marathon,” Storen said. “I know everybody is excited about Opening Day. You have to understand that just because you aren’t there Opening Day doesn’t mean you’re gone the rest of the season. There are a ton of games, and Game 1 matters just as much as Game 162.”