Manager hopes break will revitalize Danny Espinosa
Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa was on the bench for a second straight game Monday against the Giants, mired in a 1-for-30 slump. Manager Davey Johnson noted, however, he had a "good talk" with Espinosa.
"I think he's a little beat up right now," Johnson said, per MLB.com. "I hate to just sit him out, but he's certainly not doing things he knows he's capable of doing. So it's frustrating for him and he feels like he's letting everybody down. But he's trying to do his best. Sometimes just getting away from it a little bit helps."
Johnson said he's "surprised" Espinosa hasn't taken a step forward this season, but he's confident the 26-year-old infielder will turn it around.
"How you handle adversity is a large part of your success," Johnson said. "We'll get through this. Coming in this year I felt like Danny was a key guy, and if he started doing the things that he's capable of doing, it could make the year a whole lot of fun. I still feel that way."
