Washington Nationals news & notes: Nats and White Sox’ opener postponed; Doubleheader today…

Notes and quotes on the Nationals after last night’s game was postponed by rain…

DON’T SIT ROSARIO NOW!!!!:

Before last week, Eddie Rosario, 32, was 6 for 70 (.086/.133/.157) with two doubles, a home run, four walks, and 19 Ks in 24 games (19 starts) and 76 plate appearances this season. It’s been quite a week since. Rosario, whose slow starts in previous years Davey Martinez tried to point to in explaining his continued insistence on playing the veteran outfielder, in spite of the slash line included above, just earned the NL Player of the Week after he went 10 for 22 (.455/.571/1.046) in seven games and 28 PAs.

Rosario hit a double and four home runs, drove in seven runs, and walked (7) more than he K’d (4) over the course of the week, and he stole four bases. He’s up to six stolen bases on the season now, matching his total from the 2022-23 combined.

He hit safely in all seven games last week, the Nationals highlighted in their pregame notes for last night’s game (which was postponed by rain), “with three multi-hit efforts,” over that seven-game stretch, and he led, “Major League Baseball with a 1.045 slugging percentage, [was] second with a .571 on-base percentage and [was] tied for third with a .455 [AVG] since May 4.”

“He’s staying behind the ball,” Martinez said when asked what was different for Rosario over the last week, “… he’s getting the ball in the strike zone. He got another walk today, which is great, but he’s seeing the ball really well.

“But really getting the ball in the strike zone, he’s swinging the bat really, really well.”

FOREVER YOUNG:

Jacob Young, 24, made his MLB debut in 2023, a quick rise for the 2021 7th Round pick. He was not one of the really hyped prospects in the Nationals’ system, but he has really made the most of the opportunity he earned.

In 31 games and 105 plate appearances after Sunday’s game, Young had a .275/.350/.341 line, six doubles, seven walks, and 13 stolen bases in 15 attempts, playing solid defense in center field with Victor Robles injured for a long stretch early this season.

Neither the defense or Young’s success on the basepaths has come as a surprise for skipper Davey Martinez, who said over the weekend in Boston’s Fenway Park he was well-aware of what the outfielder brings to the lineup.

Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images

“We knew he could do both,” Martinez said of Young’s skill set, “we really did, but what I love about him: He’s really engaged on everything. He doesn’t take anything for granted. When he’s on the bases, he knows what he needs to do.

“When he’s out in the outfield, he wants to catch every ball, and he doesn’t take his hitting out to the field or to the baserunning. He’s fully-engaged on every aspect of the game, so he’s really fun to watch.”

Having him paired in the lineup with CJ Abrams opens up all sorts of possibilities, Martinez said.

“A lot of times he jumpstarts our lineup, and he gets on there for CJ and those other guys.

“He’s getting tons of opportunities to play, and he’s taking advantage of it.”

Though he wasn’t hyped much outside the organization before his quick rise through the system, the Nats’ brass sees in him a focused, determined young player, who had a lot to offer the big league club.

“The kid is grounded,” Martinez said.

“He loves the game. He’s not going to listen to the outside, he’s just going to come out here and play. So he’s one of those kids where not too many people knew about him, I knew about him, [GM Mike Rizzo] knew about him. We watched him and he got better and better, so here he is helping us win games at the major league level.”

Martinez told reporters he thought Young benefited from his 31-game run in the big leagues last season, after he debuted late in the year and stayed around for the last month.

Photo by Brennan Asplen/Getty Images

“Jacob last year learned a lot about himself and what he needs to do, and he’s been playing well,” Martinez said.

He gave the outfielder most of the day off in Sunday’s series finale with the Red Sox, after he went 0 for 8 at the plate in the first two games in Fenway Park.

“Jacob has been playing. Just he’s … just been beat up a little bit, so I want to give him a day,” Martinez explained.

He was penciled in as the No. 2 hitter and the center fielder for the Nationals before the first of three with the White Sox in Chicago was postponed by rain last night.

The Sox and Nats will play a doubleheader today instead, starting at 4:40 PM ET, with Erick Fedde on the mound for the home team in the second game of the twin bill.