Yahoo News Nationals lose Starlin Castro to broken wrist, call up coveted infield prospect
The Washington Nationals’ weekend is off to a tough start.
Second baseman Starlin Castro was placed on the 10-day injured list after suffering a broken right wrist. The injury occurred during their 6-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles in a game that was completed Friday after being suspended due to rain on Aug. 9.
To replace Castro, the Nationals have called up their No. 2 prospect, Luis Garcia. The 20-year-old infielder will be in the lineup for Friday’s originally scheduled game against Baltimore.
Starlin Castro broke his right wrist during the first game today. Nationals have placed him on the IL and added Luis Garcia from the taxi squad. Garcia, the team's No. 2 prospect per @MLBPipeline, will make his MLB debut tonight (weather permitting).
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) August 14, 2020
Castro, 30, suffered the injury while making a diving play.
He had homered in the fifth inning of the game, though that came during the Aug. 9 portion. Overall, he's hitting .283/.317/.467 through 16 games in 2020.
The injury will sideline Castro for several weeks and potentially for the remainder of the regular season.
Who is Luis Garcia?
As mentioned, the young infielder is the Nationals No. 2 prospect. He was signed as an international free agent in 2016 when he was just 16 years old.
He reached the Double-A level in 2019. His .257/.280/.337 batting line over 553 plate appearances wasn't eye-popping, but Nationals manager Dave Martinez is excited about the growth he’s seen from Garcia both physically and on the field.
“Man, he’s growing,” Martinez said of Garcia, courtesy of MASN Sports. “Saw this little skinny kid when I first got here that everybody talked about, and now he’s just filling out. Just big. ... He’s going to be a good one. He’s mature for his age. But he’s a kid, basically. Every time I look at him, I say, ‘You going to stop growing soon?"
Garcia was listed at 6-foot-2, 211 pounds at spring training. Right now, he'll be needed at second base. He can also play third base and shortstop. If Garcia proves he’s ready to hit MLB pitching, the Nationals might be forced to find him a spot like they were forced to find Juan Soto a spot in 2018.
More from Yahoo Sports:
