Robles increasing activity but still has long way to go

LOS ANGELES – Victor Robles bounded into the visitors’ clubhouse at Dodger Stadium this afternoon, grabbed his glove and headed out toward the field, a hop in his step not seen much over the last three-plus weeks as he’s resided on the injured list.

“Doing much better,” the Nationals center fielder said as he headed out for a pregame workout.

Out since May 7 with back spasms, Robles hadn’t been doing much activity on a baseball field through his first two weeks on the IL. That’s finally starting to change, and today offered an opportunity to increase his workload.

“He’s actually doing a little bit of running, some agility stuff,” manager Davey Martinez said. “He’s been hitting off the tee, doing some flips. So he’s definitely progressing a little bit. He feels a lot better, which is a great sign.”

If things go well today, Martinez said Robles may start hitting soft-toss on the field before Tuesday’s game. That doesn’t necessarily mean he’s that close to returning to the active roster, though. This type of injury requires patience and the understanding it impacts all aspects of his game.

“I think it’s everything. It’s his back, so it’s going to be the swings, the constant running, the sliding,” Martinez said. “It’s going to have to be all of it. So we’re going to have to get him ready, get him really strong, so this doesn’t happen to him again.”

The Nationals continue to use Alex Call in Robles’ place. The 28-year-old tonight starts his 21st consecutive game in center field.

At the plate, Call has seen his production drop with more playing time. After going 8-for-20 his first five games after Robles landed on the IL, he’s been a mere 7-for-53 with seven walks, 16 strikeouts and a .422 OPS in 15 games since. Martinez tonight has him batting ninth in the lineup, behind CJ Abrams.

Call hasn’t, however, been a liability in the field. He’s got 2 Defensive Runs Saved in 24 total games as a center fielder, tracking down fly balls and rarely making a mistake of consequence.

“He gets good jumps,” Martinez said. “He sees the ball really well in center field. And he’s usually pretty good; he works hard with (outfield coach Eric Young Jr.) on positioning. But his first step is really, really good. Obviously, he doesn’t have the speed that Vic does, but he does have that first step. I think that makes him really good out there.”