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It didn't take folks following the Washington Nationals' moves long to figure out what was happening. The Nats talked openly about 33-year-old outfielder Jayson Werth going on the DL this afternoon after he'd battled to come back from what was described today by Nationals' GM Mike Rizzo as a "slight" hamstring strain. A stomach bug and dehydration dogged the veteran outfielder as well and finally led to the team making a decision they had hoped to avoid. As soon as the news came out before tonight's game against the Chicago Cubs, folks started checking the lineup at Triple-A.
Roster move isn't official yet, but Werth will go to DL and Eury Perez will come up from Syracuse.
— Dan Kolko (@masnKolko) May 11, 2013
Rizzo told reporters, including the Washington Times' Amanda Comak, that 22-year-old outfielder Eury Perez was one option as was '09 Nats' 2nd Round pick Jeff Kobernus, who has a .371/.402/.468 line with five doubles, two triples and one home run so far this year in 31 games and a 136 plate appearances for the Syracuse Chiefs. When the Nats' top affiliate released it's lineup, however, it was Perez who was conspicuously absent and thus believed to be on his way to D.C.
Davey says "more than likely" Werth goes on DL. Eury Perez headed this way.
— Amanda Comak (@acomak) May 11, 2013
They still weren't saying it was official, but Davey Johnson reportedly told the press after tonight's 7-3 win in Nationals Park, that it would be Perez joining the big league team while Werth sat out. With the forthcoming DL stint expected to be retroactively dated, Werth's expected to be eligible to return on 5/18.
Davey says Eury Perez to arrive tomorrow.
— James Wagner (@JamesWagnerWP) May 11, 2013
It will be Eury Perez's second stint with the Nationals, you know, if/when. The San Luis, Distrito Nacional, Dominican Republic-born outfielder who signed with the organization as a minor league free agent in 2007, made his MLB debut last September and got five plate appearances in over 13 games at the end of the Nats' run to the NL East title. Perez missed time and some important at bats sitting on the bench for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic this Spring, but he returned to Triple-A and has put up a .346/.352/.439 line so far this season with five doubles, a triple and a home run in 23 games and 108 plate appearances.
Perez is expected to join the team tomorrow for the second game of three with the Chicago Cubs. Davey Johnson said after tonight's game that Werth would "more than likely" head to the DL, and Johnson then admitted that , "Yeah, [Perez] would be headed this way," if/when it happened, though the move was still not officially announced. "You guys are all over it aren't you," Johnson chided reporters, "Did you get it on Twitter?" I think he meant Tweeter?