Jordy

Mercer

“Thank You baseball!,” Mercer wrote on his personal Twitter account. “Thank you for the opportunity and love you have given me. I hope I loved you back just as much. Thank you to the ones that have supported me, especially my family every step of way. It’s Time!! Excited for the next chapter.” The 35-year-old infielder batted .254/.307/.364 in 46 games (127 plate appearances) last season with the Nationals.

The Nationals attempted to play spoiler on Sunday afternoon but were unable to edge the Red Sox in their season finale. Mercer kicked off the scoring with an RBI double against Chris Sale in the second inning and also added an RBI ground out in the fifth inning off righty reliever Garrett Richards. The 35-year-old veteran infielder finishes the 2021 campaign hitting .254/.307/.364 with two homers across 127 plate appearances.

Kieboom suffered the injury on a slide in the ninth inning Monday, but it’s not believed to be a serious issue and he could be available off the bench if needed. Jordy Mercer is covering third base against the Marlins.

Mercer has been out since July with a strained calf but is healthy enough now to contribute in the final weeks.

Mercer has struggled to stay healthy, battling numerous leg issues over the last few months. Carter Kieboom has been recalled from Triple-A Rochester in a corresponding move.

Mercer didn’t require a rehab assignment before returning. He’ll give the Nats some infield depth with Starlin Castro on administrative leave.

Mercer wasn’t available for Thursday’s game due to the issue, and it sounds like it was going to keep him out for at least a few more games, so the Nationals did the wise thing by placing him on the injured list. The 34-year-old is hitting .270/.299/.365 with one homer, one RBI and a 20/3 K/BB ratio in 77 plate appearances this season.

Mercer “couldn’t get his quad loose” according to Nationals manager Davey Martinez. With Mercer and Trea Turner out, Washington was forced to have Alex Avila start at second base. Mercer is considered day-to-day, and could be a go for Friday’s game against the Dodgers.

It doesn’t sound like a major issue, but Harrison will get the afternoon off as a precautionary measure. Jordy Mercer is starting at second base and batting eighth in his place. The 33-year-old has come out of nowhere to deliver a whopping 10 hits in 18 at-bats to open the 2021 campaign. He certainly won’t sustain this level of production for much longer, but he appears to be locked in as an everyday regular for the Nationals, which gives him some appeal for fantasy managers in NL-only formats.

Hand, Yan Gomes, Alex Avila and Jordy Mercer have all been cleared to return after being away due to COVID-19 protocols. Josh Bell, Kyle Schwarber, Jon Lester and Josh Harrison have not been cleared yet, while Patrick Corbin has been cleared but not activated. It’s possible that manager Dave Martinez will give Hand a tune-up outing or two before throwing him into the closer role.