WASHINGTON -- Nationals center fielder Denard Span was out of the starting lineup on Thursday against the Padres because of back tightness, the same injury that put him on the disabled list in July. Span woke up Thursday morning and felt stiff, according to manager Matt Williams.
The Nationals expected Span to have problems after he was activated, and his back was an issue before Wednesday's game against the Padres, but he was able to loosen up and went 2-for-5 with a run scored during a 6-5 loss. The doctors told Span he would not fully recover until the offseason.