Dee

Strange-Gordon

Strange-Gordon wound up re-signing with the Nats in mid-July after being released by them in mid-June, but he’s now on the open market again. He’ll look to latch on with another club for the final two months.

Strange-Gordon refused an outright assignment after being designated for assignment by the Nationals back in mid-June, but will return for another stint in Washington after a few weeks on the open market. The 34-year-old veteran super utility specialist made the Nationals’ season-opening roster and wound up appearing in 22 games, hitting .305/.3-5/.356 with three steals across 59 plate appearances.

Instead of reporting to Triple-A Rochester after being designated for assignment earlier this week, Strange-Gordon will opt to search for a new team and enter free agency. There’s a chance he gets an opportunity with another club after hitting .305/.305/.356 over 59 plate appearances with the Nationals.

The 34-year-old speedster actually hit pretty well during his time with the Nationals, slashing .305/.305/.356 with a pair of RBI and three stolen bases in 59 plate appearances. Given his versatility and defensive prowess, there’s a chance that another team will be willing to take a chance on him on waivers.

Strange-Gordon returns to the Nationals ahead of Tuesday’s series opener against the Marlins after a brief three-game absence. The 34-year-old utility man has played in 21 games this season, hitting .293/.293/.345 with two steals across 58 plate appearances.

Strange-Gordon and his wife welcomed their second child Friday morning. The Nats will need to make a corresponding move prior to their game against the Reds.

Strange-Gordon stole second base and advanced to third on a throwing error by Pete Alonso following his two-out 100.4 mph single in the top of the second. He’s not an everyday player, but through 54 at-bats, he’s hitting .315 with three stolen bases (80th percentile sprint speed).

Apart from Nelson Cruz, Strange-Gordon has been the Nationals’ hottest hitter this last week, going 8-for-16 in his last six games. The triple tonight was his first extra-base hit in 46 at-bats this season. The steal was his first after two previous caught stealings. Whereas he was good for a steal every 10-12 plate appearances in his prime, he doesn’t quite have those same legs at age 34.

Rather than call up Luis Garcia and try to put a better team on the field, the Nationals are giving Strange-Gordon more playing time at shortstop at Alcides Escobar’s expense. It’s probably not an upgrade -- Escobar is hitting .167/.167/.167 in 30 plate appearances -- but it doesn’t really seem to matter.

Escobar will miss his third consecutive contest due to an infection under his left pointer finger nail. It’s unclear whether he’ll be ready to go Friday against the Astros, but he’s managed to avoid a trip to the injured list, which is an encouraging sign. Dee Strange-Gordon will fill-in at shortstop again on Thursday afternoon.