Washington Nationals news & notes: Stone Garrett progress + more…

Notes and quotes from Spring Training in West Palm Beach, FL.

STONE GARRETT STILL BUILDING BACK UP:

Stone Garrett, 28, suffered a season-ending injury (a fractured left fibula) in August of 2023, but the Nationals’ outfielder finished his first season in D.C., after he’d signed as a free agent in late 2022, with a .269/.343/.457 line, 17 doubles, nine homers, 82 strikeouts, and 26 walks over 89 games played and 271 plate appearances.

Garrett rehabbed all winter, but early on in Spring Training, Washington’s manager, Davey Martinez, said he was taking a cautious approach in terms of getting Garrett back out on the field in game action after such a serious injury to his lower leg and ankle.

Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images

“We’re going to build him up. I’m hoping he’s going to be ready for Opening Day. He’s done a lot,” Martinez explained on Day 1 of camp last month.

“We got to check all the boxes with him.”

“It’s going to be a progression, but we’re going to push him,” the manager added.

“He wants to be pushed. He’s been hitting, and he looks really good hitting. And so we’re not going to hold him back.

“He’ll determine when he’s ready to go, and we’ll keep a close eye on him. So every day we’re going to progress and see where he’s at towards the end of [Spring Training.]”

As they began playing games in West Palm Beach, Florida, Martinez said they were going to continue to ease Garrett in.

“Once again, I just want to make sure that he’s 100% before we get him out there and really start full going. But he looks good,” Martinez said.

“Look, he worked diligently all winter long to get himself ready. I think he’s in a good spot. I think as of right now, he could be ready for Opening Day, and that’s the way we’re looking at it.”

With everyone, major and minor league players alike, gathered in WPB, Martinez said, there would be plenty of opportunities to get at-bats even if he did not play in Grapefruit League games right away.

“We’re probably going to ease his way in,” Martinez explained. “Once the minor leaguers come in and those guys get ready and they start, we can get [Garrett] as many at-bats as we need. We can do a lot of different things. So, right now, I’m looking at what he did today, and he looked good, he’s progressing, I saw him do his outfield work and he looked really good, but as far as getting him in a game, we’ll see how he does.”

“It’s going to be a while before I really feel comfortable putting him in a game, but we’re definitely progressing in the right direction,” Martinez said.

Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images

Garrett has been getting at-bats on the back fields, and Martinez talked this week about how he’s progressing.

“He’s actually been playing against the minor league teams, hitting-wise,” the manager said, as quoted by MASN’s Bobby Blanco.

“We haven’t put him in the field yet. But he’s getting better. He’s running the bases a lot better. His side-to-side has been better. So hopefully, like I said, we’re going to progress him. Hopefully, by the time we leave here he will be ready. But only time will tell.”

Garrett saw more pitching in another intrasquad game this week, but he struggled a bit as he was running the bases.

“He’s laboring a little bit, yeah,” Martinez acknowledged, again, as quoted by MASN’s Bobby Blanco.

“Like I said, it’s going to take some time. The fear factor I think is what’s really gonna get him, too. When we finally get him out in the field playing on the field, running after balls in game, he’s gonna have to get over that as well. But God bless him, man. He puts the work in all day long. One of the first ones here and he stays here for hours after getting treatment to get himself right. But he’ll be ready.”

As they have been though, the Nationals will have to continue to be patient with Garrett.

“It’s a progression,” Martinez told reporters. “We got to be patient and let him go through the process.”

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