Washington Nationals reinstate Stephen Drew from 10-Day DL; option Matt Grace

Stephen Drew landed on the 10-Day DL back on April 12th, when a right hamstring strain got the veteran bench bat and backup outfielder.

“His spike caught when he was leaving the box,” Dusty Baker told reporters after Drew pulled up short on the way to first base that night.

“I didn’t really see it, but I could tell by the look and the grimace on his face that he hurt it pretty badly.”

Bad enough that the 34-year-old, 12-year veteran was out until this afternoon when the Nationals announced that he was re-instated from the DL with Matt Grace sent down to Triple-A Syracuse to make room on the roster.

“It’s taken longer than we had hoped,” Baker said last week in Pittsburgh. “He hasn’t had any setbacks. Like I told you earlier, as you get older you heal slower.”

Drew signed a 1-year/$3.5M deal with the Nationals after he put up a .266/.339/.524 line, with 11 doubles and eight home runs in 70 games and 165 plate appearances.

He was 4 for 18 before suffering the injury last month.

Grace, who has been up and down all season, returns to Triple-A Syracuse after posting a 4.05 ERA in seven appearances out of the Nationals’ bullpen over five separate stints in the majors this season.

Drew adds a left-handed bat to the Nationals’ bench, and there was also surprising news on one of the Nats’ other bench bats this morning.

Chris Heisey, who landed on the 10-Day DL with a ruptured right biceps five days back, was added to the Double-A Harrisburg Senators’ roster this morning as he works to rehab the injury.