Washington Nationals’ lineup for series finale with New York Mets on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball...

Washington Nationals’ skipper Davey Martinez told reporters before Saturday afternoon’s matchup with the New York Mets, that outfielder Adam Eaton, off to a hot start before he tweaked his ankle sliding awkwardly into home on Thursday, was available for the second of three in D.C., but not starting.

“He’s available,” Martinez said. “He feels good, but being that it’s cold, wet, I thought the best thing was to keep him out another day, but he’s definitely available.”

“We’ll pick a situation where if we need him he’s going to go play, he can play the outfield, he can do whatever, but he’ll be ready.”

Eaton did end up making a pinch hit appearance in what ended up the Nationals’ fourth straight loss, though he didn’t take the field since he’d replaced the pitcher.

The 29-year-old outfielder told reporters before the game that he wasn’t suffering any ill effects of the ankle issue, which doctors told him (afterwards) was scar tissue breaking apart.

“I haven’t had any pain in it this morning, or anything like that,” he said on Saturday, as quoted by MASN’s Mark Zuckerman.

“So I’m going to see what they’ve got in store for me and go from there. But just walking around, I feel better than I did. ... I don’t know the human body, but I’m kind of excited. I just wish they gave me a warning: ‘You’re going to feel like you got shot, but you’re going to feel better afterward.’”

Through six games, Eaton is 10 for 25 (.455/.520/.864) with three doubles, two home runs, three walks, and two Ks. He’s back atop Martinez’s lineup tonight for the series finale with the Mets.

HERE’S THE NATIONALS’ LINEUP FOR GAME 3 OF 3 WITH NY IN D.C.: