WASHINGTON -- Center fielder Jacob Young began a rehab assignment with Double-A Harrisburg on Tuesday in his recovery from a left shoulder AC sprain.
Young went 1-for-3 with one run scored, one RBI and one walk. He completed nine innings of the Senators’ 7-6 win over the Fightin Phils and exited the game in the top of the 10th.
Young had not played since he crashed into the outfield wall chasing down a deep fly ball in Baltimore on May 17. He was placed on the injured list on May 23, retroactive to May 20.
Young, 25, had to recover from discomfort when he tried to complete a full swing before he was cleared to appear in games.
“He finally started hitting, he felt good,” manager Dave Martinez said prior to the Nationals' 8-3 loss to the Cubs. “The last two days, he was really taking a lot of swings. We broke it down for him as if he was playing in the game. So now he's just going to go down there and get at-bats, and we'll see how he does the next few days.”
Since Young has been able to do defensive work while on the IL, the focus will be on getting reps at the plate. The goal is to get three to four at-bats each game, with a target of building up to nine innings within three days.
“I asked him to lead off so he gets four at-bats right away,” Martinez said. “I don't really think he needs to play the field that much, but I do want him to swing.”
Young, a 2024 Gold Glove Award finalist, batted .227 with four doubles, one triple, six RBIs, 11 walks, five stolen bases and 15 runs in 41 games prior to the injury. He ranks in the 94th percentile in sprint speed.
“Once he gets [his shoulder] loose, he feels normal,” Martinez said. “The key is to get him hot and get him going. Once we did that, he said he felt fine."
Young is one of two Nationals starting outfielders on the IL. Dylan Crews, 23, was sidelined by a left oblique strain on May 21.
“He’s building strength back up in his side,” said Martinez. “He hasn't been able to swing a bat yet.”
The Nationals have turned to a pair of Top 30 prospects to fill the vacancies -- and they have embraced the opportunity.
Robert Hassell III (No. 11 prospect) was called up when Young was placed on the IL. He made his Major League debut on May 22 and has made 11 starts in center field. Hassell, 23, is batting .281 (9-for-32) with one double, one home run, three runs scored and five RBIs in his last seven games.
Daylen Lile (No. 9) debuted on May 23 when Crews was placed on the IL. He has started every game since then in right field. Lile, 22, has hit safely in six of his 10 games, and his last five hits have all been for extra bases.