F.P. Santangelo played 665 games in the Major Leagues over seven years and has been an analyst for MASN for nine more.
He said on Monday’s broadcast that he has never seen anything like what the Washington Nationals are going through now when it comes to injuries.
Starters Yan Gomes (catcher, left forearm contusion) and Andrew Stevenson (left field, back spasms) left Monday’s game as the Nationals lost 5-3 to the Brewers in Milwaukee. That came after first baseman Matt Adams (left shoulder strain) and left fielder Juan Soto (back spasms) went on the Injured List last weekend in Philadelphia.
Even before Soto went on the IL, the Nationals had three other opening day starters on the IL: first baseman Ryan Zimmerman, shortstop Trea Turner and third baseman Anthony Rendon. But Rendon came off the IL on Tuesday while rookie infielder Carter Kieboom was sent back to Triple-A.
Also Tuesday, reliever Tony Sipp went on the IL with a strained oblique while pitcher Erick Fedde was called up from Double-A Harrisburg.
The Nationals called up utility man Jake Noll from Triple-A Fresno to join the team on Sunday in Philadelphia. He flew from Las Vegas to join the team, then had to sit on the plane for nearly eight hours in Philadelphia before the team eventually got a flight to Milwaukee on Monday morning.
QUIZ: Can you match the nickname to the Major League Baseball player?
The outfield depth of Washington is being tested. If the Nationals call up an outfielder from Fresno or Harrisburg, that player would have to be added to the 40-man roster and another player would have to come off the 40-man.
One possible candidate is Harrisburg outfielder Rhett Wiseman, a Vanderbilt product who was named the Eastern League player of the month on Monday for April.
Wiseman hit nine homers in April and said this past weekend he worked a lot with minor league hitting coordinator Troy Gingrich to use both his upper and lower body in his stance.
A top pitching prospect at Harrisburg is right-handed starter Wil Crowe, who is also not on the 40-man roster.
Crowe had a 2.25 ERA in his first six starts.
The Nationals’ farm system was ranked No. 17 in the majors prior to this season by Baseball America, an industry leader in covering player development. The Nationals were fifth in 2016, 19th in 2017 and 15th before the 2018 season.
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