Injury Bug Bites the Nats Early

One was bad enough, and when Nook Logan's left foot slammed awkwardly into the center field wall yesterday at RFK Stadium, his grimace said it all. But an inning later, shortstop Cristian Guzman stung a ball toward third base, a potential infield hit -- but not for a guy who found himself hobbling down the first base line, out of the game.

Such was the nature of the Washington Nationals' 9-2 loss to the Florida Marlins. They lost only one game. They may have lost two players.

"It's just weird that we went the whole spring training, and were pretty much healthy coming out of Florida," Manager Manny Acta said, "and then two guys go down."

And, potentially, one controversy was created.

Officially, the diagnosis for Logan was a hyperextended left foot suffered in the fourth inning when he tracked down a ball off the bat of Dan Uggla. Though X-rays were negative, the club awaited results of an MRI exam last night. Guzman strained his left hamstring, and while club officials labeled it "mild," such injuries are notoriously delicate. The man who lost all of 2006 to a shoulder injury will be reevaluated today, but it's likely he would miss at least a couple of games.

"Cristian is probably, right now, more serious than Logan," Acta said, "taking into consideration that a 'hammy' just doesn't heal overnight."

Therein lies the problem. With Guzman out last year, the Nationals traded for shortstop Felipe Lopez. But when Guzman came back this spring, the club asked Lopez to move to second base because, they believed, it would make the Nationals better defensively. Lopez drew raves from Acta for not balking at the move, for working hard to become a good second baseman.

The team's plan, however, was that if Guzman -- who hit .219 in 2005 -- didn't perform or got hurt, Lopez could always move back to short. Not so, Lopez said.

"I'm playing second," Lopez said. "I don't want to switch. I don't want to start all over again. My mind is set for second base. If they have to, if they ask me. . . . " and his voice trailed off. "Right now," he said, "I want to stay at second."

Neither Logan nor Guzman were available for comment following the game.

A radiology exam of Logan's foot revealed only deep soft-tissue damage and swelling, and he will see a foot specialist today. Guzman will be re-evaluated today as well, and Nationals officials are estimating -- pending the results of the new exams -- that both could miss seven to 10 days.

Acta indicated the club would probably have to make at least one roster move. Versatile infielder-outfielder Kory Casto nearly made the club out of spring training, and would be called up if Logan's injury is serious. But Acta's plan if Guzman is out might not be received well.

"If the Guzman injury is for a long period of time," Acta said, "then we'll get Felipe ready to step in and play shortstop and get [Ronnie] Belliard at second base."

Lopez said he would physically be able to go back to shortstop, where he led the National League with 28 errors a year ago. But he already made one mental adjustment and doesn't care to make another one so quickly.

"I've already got my mind-set and [we] got our game plan," Lopez said. "It's not hard, but I'm comfortable now."

Josh Wilson, who made the club with a solid spring training, is the backup shortstop, but some in the organization don't believe he would make a good long-term solution.

But by today's game, there must be some sort of solution, temporary or permanent.

"To come out Opening Day and have two guys go down like that and end it off with a loss kind of [stinks]," said outfielder Ryan Church, who replaced Logan in center. "But we'll bounce back."