WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Daniel Murphy admits that when he has trouble sleeping, he goes to bed visualizing at-bats. Right now, that鈥檚 as close as he鈥檚 getting to the batting cage.
While his teammates faced live batting practice on Tuesday for the first time this spring, Murphy聽is still rehabbing from late October micro-fracture knee surgery. But he says he鈥檚 excited by his progress.
鈥淩ight now it鈥檚 a lot of strengthening in the weight room,鈥� he said.
Murphy’s running is limited to the treadmill, while baseball activities include playing catch and taking ground balls on his knees.聽He knows slow and steady is the way to go in his quest to be ready by Opening Day, or shortly thereafter.
鈥淵ou see these guys bouncing around and playing — you want to participate; you want to be out there with your teammates,” he said, but he emphasized his patience with the process. 鈥淲hen the training staff lets me go, and it鈥檚 time to play, you only want to come off the disabled list once. I don鈥檛 want to start playing games and then have to stop. So, that鈥檚 kind of the mindset we鈥檙e taking right now.鈥�
Manager Dave Martinez is in full agreement with the cautious approach.
鈥淚鈥檓 more concerned about rushing him and not being fully ready. When we get him back, we don鈥檛 want him to go back on the DL; we want to get him back for the whole season,鈥� he said.
The rehab period for Murphy鈥檚 kind of surgery is somewhere between four and six months. His procedure happened Oct. 20 — exactly four months ago Tuesday.
Murphy has certainly made a lot of progress since December, when he arrived at Nats Winterfest on crutches.聽Even if he鈥檚 not ready by Opening Day, Murphy is confident about playing after that.
鈥�(I’m) generally optimistic that when they put me in the lineup, I won鈥檛 come out,鈥� he said.
One way or the other, the Nationals are well fortified in the infield with Wilmer Difo and Howie Kendrick. Difo blossomed while filling in for Trea Turner at shortstop last year, and Kendrick was a solid infield/outfield addition after being dealt to Washington in late July.
NATS AND NOTES: Murphy was sporting a new look after his scruffy morning clubhouse arrival. The team provided a barber for Picture Day, and Murphy had a haircut and shave.
鈥淵ou make a decision today for the next seven months, so I re-evaluated how I look,鈥� he said.
Remember and Ian Desmond鈥檚 ugly mustache? Murphy was not going to make that scoreboard picture mistake.
Adam Eaton took live batting practice, showing no effects of the knee surgery that ended his 2017 season early with a torn ACL. While Eaton’s recovery is further along than Murphy鈥檚, Martinez said they鈥檙e not going to push him either.
New Nationals reliever Joaquin Benoit was in uniform and taking part in infield drills. He looks even bigger than his listed 6-foot-4, 220 pounds. Martinez likes the way he鈥檚 throwing.
