Washington Nationals news & notes: Stone Garrett comes back swinging…

Stone Garrett suffered a damaged left fibula and a torn ligament in his ankle on a play on the wall in Yankee Stadium late in August of 2023, however he was again on the sector this previous spring. He’d labored exhausting over the winter to have a shot at choosing up the place he left off earlier than the harm.

“He’s labored actually exhausting,” Nationals’ supervisor Davey Martinez informed reporters after Garrett acquired the decision to return to the majors when Andrés Chaparro went on the Paternity Checklist this week.

“That first harm — when that harm occurred, it was fairly nasty,” the skipper mentioned of the ugly break.

“Once I noticed him in Spring Coaching doing all of the stuff he did,” Martinez informed reporters this week, “I assumed, man, that’s unimaginable, a testomony to how exhausting he’s labored, however it’s taken him a very long time to actually get it proper. And so to have him come again right here with us for a number of days, it’s superior. He’s that man. He works his tail off to get himself prepared, to assist. He spent all 12 months simply making an attempt to get higher and actually making an attempt to get his leg proper, so I’m happy with him. He labored his manner again which is nice.”

Although he nonetheless had work to do ultimately, the truth that Garrett progressed as a lot as he did between August and February/March impressed his supervisor.

“I noticed him in Spring Coaching and actually my mouth dropped to see him doing the issues that he was doing,” Martinez mentioned, “.. however he’s very adamant [about] wanting to return again and play. Once I talked to him on the finish of spring, I informed him, ‘You simply want to actually get proper. I do know you wish to come again, you wish to, however simply exit and play baseball and get your self proper,’ as a result of it was a extremely dangerous harm. However I’m glad he’s right here and it’s good to see him.”

Having Garrett round once more, taking part in alongside among the group’s younger, highly-regarded prospects, is a profit for everybody.

“He was that man final 12 months that was — he did very well for us — he was that form of quiet chief in the direction of the tip there, so yeah, he’s that man,” Martinez defined.

“He walks within the room and he has that presence about him. So there was a number of guys that had been actually completely satisfied to see him in there immediately.”

“It appears like I’ve simply acquired known as up once more,” Garrett mentioned as soon as he was again in Nationals Park, as quoted by MLB.com’s Jessica Camerato.

“The power’s excessive. Seeing everyone’s face, being again at an enormous league stadium, there’s no feeling prefer it. It feels nice.”

Earlier than final evening’s sport, Martinez talked concerning the choice to get Garrett in there for the primary time since he got here again.

“It’s a left-handed pitcher,” Martinez mentioned of beginning the right-handed slugger.

“I wished to only form of get him on the market and I felt like he deserves a possibility to get again on the market. Hey, he did actually good issues for us final 12 months till he acquired harm, he labored his manner again and I wished to get him some at-bats immediately.”

Garrett’s first at-bat again got here within the home-half of the third, up 1-0 with one on and two out, and he began up 2-0, fouled one off, took a pitch for a strike, spit on a curve manner outdoors, after which hit low curveball 431 ft. to left-center off Ranger Suárez, placing the Nationals up 3-0 on the Phillies in what ended up a 9-1 win.

After he grounded right into a drive in his second journey to the plate, Garrett hit an RBI single within the fourth, 7-0, earlier than he doubled to steer off the seventh, leaving him a triple wanting the cycle.

He acquired a shot at it within the eighth, however walked with two down. His supervisor was pumped concerning the three-hit sport.

“Clearly, a number of feelings had been flying excessive, man,” Martinez mentioned. “I’m so completely satisfied for him.

“Like I mentioned earlier, he labored actually exhausting to get again. For him to go up there and do what he did immediately was wonderful. It actually was. It is a testomony about who he’s and the way he’s. He loves the sport. He loves the sport, he loves hitting, desires to win.

“At this time was an unbelievable efficiency. Like I mentioned, he labored actually exhausting to get again up right here, acquired an opportunity to DH, get some at-bats, and did very well.”

“I don’t even know the phrase to explain it,” Garrett mentioned after the sport, as quoted by MASN’s Mark Zuckerman, of his personal response to the house run. “Rounding the bases, I blacked out.”

Seeing Garrett run out the double was one other large step and second on the best way again.

“I stored watching him, and he ran good, he actually did,” Martinez mentioned. “ To see him get into second base, slide, and have a double there, it was superior. Like I mentioned, I can’t say sufficient concerning the particular person himself. He’s only a large man and teammates love him. He’s simply that man.”

Okay, he’s that man. Martinez retains saying it.

So what does “that man” do for a group?

“He’s at all times smiling. He’s at all times completely satisfied. He’s at all times in-tune with what’s occurring, however he’s a competitor, and he’s at all times pulling for his teammates. He’s simply that man. He had a extremely good 12 months final 12 months until he acquired harm. The truth that he got here again to Spring Coaching eager to play once more, had some setbacks, however performed all 12 months, caught with it, and to return again up right here and do what he did immediately was completely wonderful.”