AP Source: Nationals CF Eaton out for season with hurt knee


3 photos
Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Adam Eaton's first season as the Washington Nationals center fielder is over already.

A person familiar with the situation said Saturday night that Eaton is done for the rest of the year after tearing a ligament in his left knee. The person confirmed Eaton's status to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, because the Nationals had not made public the severity of the injury.

Eaton went on the 10-day disabled list Saturday, one day after hurting his knee during a game.

He was Washington's biggest offseason acquisition, arriving from the Chicago White Sox in a trade that included the Nationals' top two pitching prospects plus a 2016 first-round draft choice. Eaton was hitting .297 with two homers and 13 RBIs, reaching base safely in 20 of 23 games for the NL East leaders and forming an effective 1-2 punch at the top of Washington's batting order with shortstop Trea Turner.

But in Friday's 7-5 loss to the visiting New York Mets, the 28-year-old Eaton stepped awkwardly on the bag when he beat out a throw to first in the ninth inning. Eaton fell down, then needed assistance leaving the field, keeping weight off his left leg.

"When you see the replay, he comes up short of the bag," Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer said Friday, "and (you) just watch his ankle roll over and his whole leg kind of falls apart."

Turner, last year's runner-up for NL Rookie of the Year, will return to the leadoff spot in place of Eaton. It's a spot Turner knows well.

Michael A. Taylor will get the first shot at replacing Eaton in center field, although Nationals manager Dusty Baker made it sound as if Taylor will need to start hitting better in order to keep that job. Taylor entered Saturday batting only .095 (2 for 21), but he raised that to .195 by going 3 for 5, hitting second behind Turner.

To take Eaton's spot on the roster, Washington recalled outfielder Rafael Bautista from Triple-A Syracuse before Saturday's 5-3 loss to the Mets.

Fox Sports first reported that Eaton's season is over.

___

AP freelance writer Bobby Bancroft contributed to this report.

___

Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich

___

More AP Baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Photos

Most recent National Sports stories

Related topics

MLBNational Sports
HOWARD FENDRICH

    ARE YOU GAME?

    From first downs to buzzer beaters, get KSL.com’s top sports stories delivered to your inbox weekly.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast