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Escobar confounded by injury

Nationals notes

Date published: 5/23/2006

By TODD JACOBSON

WASHINGTON--Alex Escobar can't seem to stay healthy.

The Nationals' often-injured center fielder was a late scratch from yesterday's lineup thanks to soreness in his left hamstring, and an MRI revealed a grade one strain of his left hamstring. He was placed on the 15-day disabled list following the Nationals' 10-3 loss to the Houston Astros.

Escobar was called up from Double-A Harrisburg Saturday, but he said he felt a twinge in his left hamstring as he ran to first base after grounding out to shortstop in the seventh inning of the Nationals' 3-1 over the Baltimore Orioles Sunday.

"It's not that major of a pain right now, but like I said, I don't want to anticipate anything until I know what's wrong with it," said Escobar, who had three hits in eight at-bats since arriving in Washington.

Escobar wasn't initially worried about the tightness and didn't notify team officials about the injury, but the pain was more severe when he arrived at the ballpark yesterday.

And so, two hours before gametime, Escobar was bumped from the lineup, forcing the Nationals to scramble to patch the hole in their already-thin outfield.

With Marlon Byrd filling in for right fielder Jose Guillen (hamstring), utilityman Damian Jackson started in Escobar's place.

If Escobar has to go on the disabled list, Byrd and Double-A outfielder Frank Diaz are among the candidates to replace him.

"I was surprised to hear it, period," manager Frank Robinson said. "If he hurt it yesterday I would expect him to let us know something yesterday and then check on him today, but you know, I am not looking at it as anything other than he is missing an opportunity right now and we can use him."

Escobar was once the New York Mets' top prospect, but injuries derailed his progress. When he was traded to the Nationals in February of 2004, he had already missed most of two seasons thanks to a back injury (1999) and a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee (2002).

Then, he missed all of last year after having surgery on his broken right foot.

"It's frustrating," Escobar said. "The second game--it's like all over again. I don't even think about it anymore. Go with the flow and see what happens."

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Date published: 5/23/2006