The Nationals beat Pittsburgh, 5-3, on Sunday afternoon and would actually manage a 4-4 road trip if they can win in the Steel City on Monday. But it will take a lot more than that for Washington to avoid baseball’s worst record again. So with wins and losses meaningless at this point, that leaves plenty of time for evaluation.
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No player has more on the line over the final two months than outfielder Elijah Dukes. The 25-year-old will see the majority of playing time in right field. He spent the past month working on his swing at Triple-A Syracuse and will have no better chance to show the front office that it can count on him in right field next season. With either Adam Dunn or Josh Willingham headed to first base in 2010 – barring an offseason trade – the Nats outfield situation will be so much clearer next spring training than it was last February when six different players were in the mix for a starting job.
In just two games since his recall from Syracuse, Dukes is 1-for-7 with an RBI, a walk and two strikeouts. He showed excellent hustle breaking up a double play early in Sunday’s win while sliding hard into second base – a play that allowed Washington to score a run during the next at-bat. No player on the roster has more pure talent than Dukes. If he puts everything together – and keeps his life on track off the field – the franchise’s fortunes could turn quickly. If Dukes is a bust? That’s just one more spot the Nats need to fill during this long and painful rebuilding process.
