Jacob Young, Victor Robles To Compete For Center Field Job
10 months agoWashington Nationals manager Dave Martinez said on Wednesday that outfielders Jacob Young and Victor Robles will be competing for the center field job this year. It's a surprise after Robles was signed for $2.65 million over the winter after missing most of 2023 due to a back injury. Young started last year at Single-A Wilmington and finished with 33 big-league games in D.C. Martinez clarified his comments a bit on Thursday, saying "Vic has a little bit of the upper hand." Robles has been mostly inconsistent in parts of seven major-league seasons, but he showed improvement before his injury in 2023 by hitting .299 with a .385 on-base percentage in 36 games. Common sense suggests Young needs more time in the minors, so it would be a surprise if Robles wasn't the Nats' starting center fielder on Opening Day, but if he scuffles at all during the year, Young could get the nod.
Source: MASN Sports - Roch Kubatko
Source: MASN Sports - Roch Kubatko