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went 8-17 (.471) with a home run, three doubles, a triple, six RBIs and scored six times during the series against the Shorebirds. 💪
https://twitter.com/talknats/status/1682191960499539968?s=46&t=Q_qc3R_qyMHAAFvlywNqzQHad himself an evening 💯
The 2021 second-rounder entered pro ball with a strong reputation as a hitter, but he underwent Tommy John surgery in March 2022, meaning we had to wait another year to see the bat play in pro ball. It’s certainly done that in 2023. Lile hit .291/.381/.510 with 34 extra-base hits and 21 steals in 66 games for Single-A Fredericksburg this summer before getting promoted to High-A Wilmington in mid-July. He lacks the loud tools of other Nationals outfielder prospects like Dylan Crews, James Wood and Elijah Green, but if Lile keeps hitting like this, Washington will find a spot on the grass for him at some point.
Daylen Lile views zeroes on both sides of the box score -- those he wants to add to at the plate and others he wants to maintain in the outfield -- with the same importance. At 20 years old, the High-A Wilmington Blue Rocks outfielder knows who he wants to be as a baseball player.“I look at myself as a scoreboard changer,” Lile said earlier this month from the dugout at Maimonides Park in Brooklyn. “Even if I don’t hit in a game, I can still do something on defense to help the team out. … I could walk, I could be the big run, I could steal a bag. … I would like to think that any aspect of the game -- whether it’s on defense, on the basepaths or hitting -- is a scoreboard changer.”Last week, Lile made the biggest jump among the Nationals’ Top 30 prospects in MLB Pipeline’s midseason re-rankings, rising from No. 15 to No. 6. He began the season in Single-A and, after garnering Carolina League Player of the Week recognition, he was promoted to High-A on July 18.Lile is in his first season back after missing all of 2022 because of Tommy John surgery. The injury occurred just one year after Lile was selected by the Nats in the second round of the ‘21 Draft out of Trinity High School in Louisville, Ky., where he earned back-to-back Gatorade Kentucky High School Player of the Year honors.“It’s definitely a blessing coming out here playing the game I love and doing it every day,” Lile said.Daylen LileThe year away from the game led to moments of insight early on in Lile’s pro career. In addition to learning about taking care of his body and the necessary recovery time, he also honed in on specific areas of his game.Lile studied film to assess his movement on the offensive side. The left-handed batter has incorporated a daily routine that helps him stay in his legs and improve the rotational aspect of his hitting. Another focus is balancing his strikeout and walk rates.“My power,” he said when asked which part of his game he is most proud of. “I would say that’s the biggest thing because people look at me as a contact hitter, but now that I’m able to show that I do have power, it’s pretty cool.”In the field, Lile adjusted his throwing motion to take stress off his elbow. As a result, he is able to get the ball in faster. Lile has played all three outfield positions in Double-A, and with center field stacked in the Nats’ Minor League system -- their top two prospects, Dylan Crews and James Wood, both play center -- being versatile enough to play a corner position could be a benefit.“I would say that’s the biggest thing that people look past, saying I don’t have a strong arm,” Lile said. “But now, having Tommy John, I can actually show it off now.”Daylen LileLile describes himself as a “perfectionist.” With that mindset, he has already learned the ups and downs of baseball. He recalled August 2021, when -- just six games into his pro ball experience -- he had three strikeouts in consecutive games.“Whenever I was going through travel ball in high school, I was getting, probably, three hits a game,” he said. “Then, going to [the Florida Complex League], when I struck out three times, I didn’t know how to handle it. But I had guys that were alongside of me that helped me through that. … That’s the biggest thing I had to learn was the mental side of it, that it’s not always going to go my way every day. But if I can still help out the team in any possible way, that means a lot.”Vocal among his teammates, Lile prefers to let his game do the talking on the field.“I really don’t say much; I just do what I need to do,” he said. “Talking is one thing, but if you can go out there and show everybody what you’re about, it goes a long way.”In his first full season on the professional level, Lile has a clear sense of how he wants to continue to develop and grow. He looks forward to putting it all together on the big league stage.“I feel like I’ve been slept on a lot by people,” he said. “So I want to show them who Daylen Lile is and that I can compete at any level.”
Word Nats got from Red Sox relievers was Lile landed flat, which is terrifying, but does mean neck/head/etc did not get twisted under anything. I’ll end my armchair doctoring there. Member of Nats training staff will stay with Lile until he can go back to WPB. Fingers crossed.
In the immediate aftermath of the injury, Martinez and Washington’s director of athletic training, Paul Lessard, ran out to tend to Lile. When they got to him, Martinez said, Lile was lying still, but cameras captured him moving his right arm while lying on his side as Lessard and others tried to assess his injury. A delay of about 15 minutes ensued as trainers from both teams and paramedics tended to Lile, who was placed on a stretcher and carted out through the center field gate. Lile gave a thumbs-up as he left.“When you see someone go over the wall like that and you don’t see them get up, then everyone in the bullpen started calling like that, you think, ‘Oh no,’ ” said Martinez, who expressed gratitude to Boston’s trainers and doctor. “You just hope he didn’t hit his head, his neck.”...When it became clear that Lile’s injury was serious and as his shaken teammates knelt in the outfield, umpires asked Martinez whether he wanted to end the game. He said he considered giving up on the last two innings but decided it would be better for everyone’s psyche to play on.
Tests were negative on Daylen Lile’s back. Lower back contusion. Painful, but he will be able to play once the pain subsides. Best case scenario. A huge relief.
Infield fly is the same thing as a popup, right? A bit strange his overall line is as good as it is with a popup rate that high.
Via Nats player development:“Over his last 18 games, he is hitting .313/400/.493 with three doubles, three triples, a homer, eight RBI, eight walks, six stolen bases and 13 runs scored.“
