3:12pm: Its a Grade 2 sprain, manager Davey Martinez announced to the Nationals beat ( via Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com). While not a worst-case scenario, that points to an absence of some note for the Nats everyday right fielder. 12:56pm: The Nationals announced Wednesday that theyve placed outfielder on the 10-day injured list due to an MCL sprain in his left knee. Infielder has been recalled from Triple-A Rochester in his place. Andrew Golden of the Washington Post that Lipscomb would be called up if Thomas required a trip to the injured list after departing last nights game with the injury. Thomas sustained the injury last night on a steal of second base ( ). After a somewhat awkward feet-first slide into the bag, he rolled to his side in obvious discomfort. He tried to stand and was initially unable to put weight on the leg, though he eventually was able to stand and walk off the field with the teams training staff. The Nats havent yet provided a timetable for Thomas recovery, nor have they specified the extent of the sprain. The 28-year-old Thomas has had a rough start to his season at the plate, hitting just .184/.250/.253 in 96 trips to the plate a far cry from last years career-high 28 home runs and breakout .268/.315/.468 showing. Hes actually cut his strikeout rate Kent Emanuel Jersey from 25.8% to 20.8% and upped his walk rate from 5.3% to 8.3% thus far. Much of Thomas struggle seems related to a .212 average on balls in play that sits 91 points shy of the career .303 mark he carried into the season, though it cant all be chalked up to bad luck. Hes already hit seven infield flies this season, nearly halfway to last years total of 16. Those virtually automatic outs are naturally going to suppre s his BABIP. When Thomas has managed to reach base, hes been exceptional. His 11 stolen bases (in 12 attempts) rank second in the majors, trailing only Milwaukees and Cincinnatis (both at 12). Its an unexpected development from a player who has always had good speed but had never stolen more than 20 bags in a season, which he did just last season. The injury to Thomas opens the door for more outfield reps for veterans and . Theyll likely flank center fielder on a regular basis while Thomas is on the mend for a yet-to-be-determined period of time. Of course, all eyes will be on top prospect , who has crushed Triple-A pitching at a .303/.418/.474 clip through his first 91 plate appearances this season. Its feasible that the 21-year-old Wood widely considered to be among the sports 10 to 20 best overall prospects could get a look in the big leagues sooner than later. Thatll be all the more tempting for the Nats if Thomas is slated to mi s significant time. If hes only expected to be on the shelf for a couple weeks, however, the Nats could give Wood everyday at-bats in Triple-A for a bit longer. Winker has been excellent in left field, although if the Nats wanted to free up playing time for Wood on the big league roster, it wouldnt be that difficult. Rosario, and designated hitter have all struggled greatly at the plate thus far. Moving Winker to DH to clear a corner outfield spot could happen at some point even if Thomas is back in the fold in relatively short order. Graham Pauley Jersey