Washington Nationals returned Luis Garcia Jr. to the lineup Thursday after one of the best offensive performances of his season earlier in the week.
Garcia was held out of Wednesday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds with left-hander Nick Lodolo on the mound, but the Nationals quickly put him back into the lineup after his recent surge at the plate continued Tuesday night.
The 25-year-old helped power Washington to a 10-4 win over Cincinnati with a pair of home runs as part of the Nationals’ six-homer breakout game. Garcia finished with two extra-base hits and continued a productive stretch that followed his recent return from a minor wrist sprain.
Before sitting Wednesday, Garcia had gone 8-for-14 over his previous three games with four extra-base hits, five RBI and four runs scored.
Garcia In Rare Company After Tuesday’s Showing
Garcia and rookie outfielder Daylen Lile each homered twice against the Reds, becoming the sixth pair of Nationals teammates to hit multiple home runs in the same game. The last duo to accomplish it for Washington was Juan Soto and Brian Dozier back in August 2019.
The offensive outburst represented one of Washington’s strongest games of the season. Along with Garcia and Lile, James Wood and Brady House also went deep as the Nationals reached 50 home runs on the year.
Wood’s homer was his 12th of the season and continued what has quietly become one of the more encouraging developments for Washington’s lineup early this year.
Garcia’s recent production is especially notable considering he missed four consecutive starts last week because of the wrist issue. At the time, the Nationals viewed the injury as minor, and his immediate offensive response after returning appears to support that evaluation.
The Nationals planted Curtis Mead at first base Wednesday against Lodolo.
Given how Garcia has been swinging the bat, though, the team made sure he was back in the fold for today’s matchup.
Nationals Have Found A Spark
Washington has also played noticeably better on the road than many expected entering the season. Tuesday’s win improved the Nationals to 14-9 away from home, one of the better road clubs in baseball entering Thursday.
For Garcia, the focus now shifts toward maintaining consistency after a stretch where his timing and power finally appear locked in again following the injury.
The Nationals will look for that momentum to continue as they close out the series against Cincinnati before heading home to face the Baltimore Orioles for a weekend stretch.
Nationals’ Red-Hot Slugger Returns After Career Performance