Washington Nationals center fielder Denard Span had surgery Monday morning to repair what the club deemed a “right core muscle injury” and is expected to miss at least a month.
Manager Matt Williams told reporters in Viera, Florida that although it is too early to put a firm timetable on Span’s recovery, the 31-year-old will likely be out four to six weeks before resuming baseball activities. He is not expected to be in the Opening Day lineup.
“The timeframe is up in the air, but you look to 4-6 weeks until he can start doing baseball activities,” Williams told reporters Monday morning. “To put a timeframe on it now is probably premature. But the good news is he got it fixed. He’ll be back here later in the week to start the [rehabilitation] process.”
Span’s surgery is the latest setback for a beleaguered Nationals outfield. Left fielder Jayson Werth and reserve outfielder Nate McLouth are each recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. Both players hope to be ready by Opening Day but still have a ways to go.
For now, Michael Taylor is the front-runner to replace Span in center field. Williams said the 23-year-old, who showed flashes of good play as a September call-up last year, will receive the majority of reps in center field while Span and McLouth are out. Recently-signed veteran Tony Gwynn Jr. is another candidate to fill that role.
Span underwent sports hernia surgery in early December but was a full participant in camp this spring. He was still experiencing some minor discomfort in drills but hoped it would dissipate over time, according to Williams.
Span started Washington’s Grapefruit League opener last week and went 0-for-2 at the plate. The discomfort grew worse during the game.
“He thought that it would work itself out, but once he ramped it up in the first game and tested it coming out of the box, he felt it a lot more,” Williams told reporters. “We decided to get it looked at, and ultimately with all the results, [we] had to get it fixed and make sure he’s good to go.”
Williams indicated that Span’s latest injury was not in the same location as his sports hernia, which was on his left side. It is unclear whether the two injuries were related.
“Everything went well with the surgery. #godisgood,” Span wrote on Twitter.
The injuries to McLouth, Span and Werth could also lead to increased opportunities for Mike Carp and Tyler Moore, who are both capable of playing in the outfield. Moore, who is out of minor-league options, has been particularly impressive early on this spring. He is hitting 6-for-8 at the plate with four doubles, one triple, one home run and six RBI in three games.
• Tom Schad can be reached at tschad@washingtontimes.com.
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