Davey Martinez told Roenis Elías not to swing in both Spanish and English, the Washington Nationals’ bilingual skipper said, but the 31-year-old lefty, acquired from Seattle’s Mariners this week, decided to try for his second major league hit (in seven plate appearances) in the top of the seventh on Friday night, and felt something in his upper right leg pull on his way to first base as he ran out a grounder to second.
Elías recorded two outs in the sixth, but the Nationals’ manager planned to send him back out against another left-hander in the bottom of the seventh since his bench was short, so he let him hit for himself in the top of the inning.