Washington Nationals’ lineup for finale with New York Mets + Luis García & Evan Lee up with team in NY…

Will the Washington Nationals salvage another series finale in New York and head to Cincinnati on a positive note?

The 10-0 loss to the New York Mets last night was bad enough, but Washington Nationals’ shortstop Alcides Escobar also injured his hamstring as he made a diving play and throw from his knees for a force at second base in the bottom of the fourth inning, and the 35-year-old needed help getting off the field. So, call Luis García?

Talking with reporters after last night’s game, manager Davey Martinez said the club might need to get someone on the way to Flushing, Queens, NY in case Escobar isn’t able to play in the series finale with the NL East division leaders this afternoon.

“We’re probably going to get somebody going just in case. We haven’t decided yet who that will be, but hopefully [Escobar is] okay,” Martinez said.

After a slow start to his second season in D.C. in April, Escobar is on a nice run at the plate in the last 17 games before last night’s matchup, going 19 for 60 (.317/.339/.433) over that stretch, with three doubles and two triples in those games, and hits in 13 of the 17. But will he be able to play in the third of three with the Mets? And what exactly happened on that play?

“His right hamstring — he’s sore,” Martinez said.

“We’ll evaluate him a little bit more tomorrow, but he’s pretty sore. It was weird. He made the play, and he just grabbed his right hamstring. They’re going to evaluate him, and we’ll see how he feels tomorrow, but when you’ve got to carry a guy off the field, so, he’s sore.”

Escobar’s take?

“I don’t think it’s anything serious or long-term,” Escobar said after the game, as quoted by MASN’s Mark Zuckerman. “Just talking to the trainers, with the treatment I’m going to get, luckily it was just a cramp. I’m not going to get put on the IL as of right now. I don’t foresee it being anything too serious. As soon as we started doing the treatment just now, it’s felt a lot better.”

Would the Nationals need to call someone up today? Fans are clamoring for García to get the call to rejoin the team after debuting with 40 games in 2020 and playing in 70 last season, before he was optioned out to Triple-A to start the 2022 campaign. García, 22, has put up a 314/.368/.531 line with six doubles, four triples, and eight home runs in 42 games and 193 PAs for Rochester through Sunday night.

Who’s starting at short? Before the game today, the Nationals made a series of moves which gave us the start and starting shortstop for the series finale in Citi Field.

HERE’S THE NATIONALS’ LINEUP FOR THE FINALE WITH THE METS: