Espinosa's MRI Negative

Espinosa, above 18, has been solid for the Nationals as of late. (Photo: lesterslegends.com)

Not only did the Nationals get the night off thanks to a huge rain storm that passed over Washington, DC, but they also got good news on Danny Espinosa's shoulder. The Nationals sent him to get an MRI on it this week. Mark Zuckerman has the full story.

Earlier this week, Espinosa complained of pain in his left shoulder. He had a hard time swinging the bat against the Braves and reported the problem to the training staff. Everyone in the Nationals organization thought the worst, a torn labrum, but thankfully, his MRI came back negative.

A injury like a torn labrum could have caused the Nationals second baseman to miss the entire post-season. Something that the Nationals would not benefit from as Espinosa has been hitting .259 this month. His ability at the plate has really picked up from the beginning of the season.

At one point in the season, it appeared as though Espinosa might find himself in the minors. In July, however, Espinosa found his swing and batted .300 throughout the month. He hasn't looked back since and has been above .250 since then.

In September alone, Espinosa has 14 hits including six doubles. He's got five RBI and two home runs. Espinosa has also drawn three walks and has stolen two bases. He's got an on base percentage of .310 and a slugging percentage of .463.

What the Nationals would miss more, however, is his ability in the field. In 111 games at second base this season, Espinosa has five errors, but has turned 56 double plays for a fielding percentage of 98%. He also has 292 assists. He's a machine at second and an expert at turning the double play.

Luckily for the Nationals, Espinosa will likely miss a game or two. It is possible that Steve Lombardozzi will get the start in both games tomorrow for the Nationals. It might not be a bad idea for the Nationals to let Espinosa rest a day or two to make sure that his shoulder is 100%.

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