Escobar went 2-for-5 Saturday with a two-run blast, his third home run of the season. He continues to be one of the surprises of the season for the Nats, and while Escobar doesn't supply much power or speed, his .319/.373/.403 slash line still carries plenty of value for a player with middle infield eligibility.

Escobar (wrist) is back in the lineup Sunday against the Cubs. Escobar was removed from Thursday's game due to a wrist injury, and was held out of the lineup Friday and Saturday as a result. Although reports Saturday suggested he'd miss Sunday's contest as well, Escobar will return to third base and bat second in the order. His presence in the lineup suggests he'll be able to avoid a brief DL stint, and that the ailment shouldn't be a major concern moving forward.

In addition to being held out of Saturday's lineup, Escobar (wrist) hopes to rest Sunday, James Wagner of The Washington Post reports. He'll attempt to take light swings to test the wrist. The Nationals have more infield depth following the recent return of Anthony Rendon, which may lead them to give Escobar a brief stint on the 15-day DL if the wrist doesn't improve in the coming days. At the very least, it seems unlikely that he'll be used in the weekend series against the Cubs outside of a late-inning pinch-running role.

Escobar (wrist) is out of the lineup for Saturday's game against the Cubs. Escobar was supposed to undergo tests Friday, and they must not have come back with good results. This wrist injury could nag for the next week or so, which means Escobar will be a risky play even in the first few days he's back. Anthony Rendon will again take over third, with Danny Espinosa moving in to cover second.

Escobar (wrist) is not in Friday's lineup, the Washington Post's Chelsea Janes reports. He left Thursday's game with a right wrist injury, which he suffered on a check swing. While X-rays came back negative, Escobar was expected to undergo further tests Friday, which apparently did not result in him being cleared to get back in the lineup. Anthony Rendon will get the start at third base with Escobar sidelined. Consider him day-to-day for now.

Manager Matt Williams revealed that Escobar was removed from Thursday's game against the Cubs due to a right wrist injury, Rob Carlin of CSN Washington reports. Escobar suffered the injury on a check swing, prompting the training staff to pull him from the game to avoid worsening matters. Danny Espinosa came off the bench to fill in for Escobar, and would likely be first in line for at-bats should the ailment prevent Escobar from missing further games.

Escobar left Thursday's game against the Cubs after one inning, Dan Kolko of MASN Sports reports. Escobar struck out in his first at-bat and appeared to grimace after the swing, though it wasn't obvious what was ailing him. Anthony Rendon shifted over to third base to replace Escobar as Danny Espinosa came into the game to man the keystone.

With Denard Span (knee) sidelined, Escobar hit leadoff in both games of Tuesday's double-header, going 2-for-6 with two walks and a run scored. He seems to be enjoying life as the Nationals' third baseman, and Escobar is now slashing .314/.376/.389 with an impressive 28 runs in 48 games. Anthony Rendon could dislodge him from the top of the batting order when he gets activated from the DL, however, so you may want to see if you can sell high on Escobar before Rendon makes his return.

Escobar went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI in the 4-1 win over the Padres on Saturday. Escobar has been the surprise of the season for the Nationals this season in the prolonged absence of Anthony Rendon. Escobar is now batting an impressive .328 on the season.

Escobar went 5-for-5 from the plate Monday against the Diamondbacks, the second time he's done that in nine days. Escobar also went 5-for-5 on May 4 against the Marlins. He has a hit in seven of his past eight games, and is now hitting .342 on the season, good for seventh among all hitters.