The Washington Nationals placed shortstop Ian Desmond on the MLB paternity list Tuesday afternoon as he and his wife are expecting their first child. Desmond going on the list makes room for a player and the Nats have already called up outfielder Roger Bernadina from Triple-A Syracuse.
Desmond was hitting .205 with two home runs, eight RBI and eight stolen bases before having to the leave the team. He also leads the Nationals in errors (7) with many believing that the birth of his son is riding on his mind and causing him not to focus. Manager Jim Riggleman acknowledged this possibility and gave Desmond an off day on Sunday. Desmond will be gone a couple days, but it is unclear when exactly he will return.
Roger Bernadina was hitting .267 with one home run, two RBI and five stolen bases for the Syracuse Chiefs. Nicknamed "The Shark," Bernadina will be used to patrol the outfield, most likely the center field position, to see if he has improved at hitting major league pitching. His glove and speed make him very formidable, but the Nationals have not seen Bernadina hit as well as they'd like.