ATLANTA (AP) 鈥� Luis Garc铆a Jr. wanted to help but could only watch as the Washington Nationals suffered their on Sunday.
As the Nationals inched closer to completing a trade to send Garc铆a to the New York Yankees, Garc铆a was scratched about 30 minutes before a 4-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves. He watched the game from the dugout.
鈥淚 mean, it was weird, uncomfortable, going out to a dugout and then having all the other teammates look at you,鈥� Garc铆a said through a translator.
Garc铆a has spent his career with the Nationals but acknowledged he would be excited to move to the Yankees.
鈥淚 mean it鈥檚 a mix of both sad and happy,鈥� Garc铆a said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a new chapter in my career, so yeah, 50-50 right now.鈥�
As of early Sunday night, the Nationals and Yankees had not announced the trade. The New York Post and ‘s Jeff Passan reported the Yankees will send the Nationals four right-handed pitchers: Ben Grable, Yovanny Cruz, Jake Bird and Jack Cebert.
When asked after Sunday’s at the Chicago Cubs about a trade for Garc铆a, Yankees manager Aaron Boone 鈥淎ll I know is it鈥檚 very close, so you guys can speculate all you want.鈥�
Garc铆a said he would fly with the Nationals to Philadelphia, where they open a four-game series on Monday.
Bird, 30, has a 5.93 ERA in 30 games with the Yankees this season, all in relief. Cruz, 26, has a 1.69 ERA in four games. Grable and Cebert have spent the full season in the minors.
Nationals manager Blake Butera confirmed he was instructed to hold Garc铆a out even though a trade was not yet final.
鈥淚 was told something was really close,鈥� Butera said. 鈥淎lso heard nothing鈥檚 official yet. But look, if Luis is here, if he鈥檚 not here, he鈥檚 an unbelievable person, an unbelievable teammate, unbelievable leader for this clubhouse, unbelievable player, you name it. Done everything we鈥檝e asked him to. … However this shakes out, we鈥檒l always love Luis and he can always play on my team.”
Being swept in a four-game series for the first time this season was painful for the Nationals, who fell three games below .500.
Perhaps more painful was the realization the Nationals were also losing Garc铆a, a popular teammate who joined the organization when he was a teenager and this year has become one of the National League’s top sluggers. Entering Sunday’s games, Garc铆a’s .560 slugging percentage led the league. He ranked fifth in the NL with 76 RBIs while hitting .283 with 23 homers.
When asked about Garc铆a as a player, Boone said 鈥淗e rakes.鈥�
Added Yankees shortstop Jos茅 Caballero: “鈥淚 know that he is a great hitter. I know that. … So I鈥檓 just excited to see him here and what he can contribute for the team, for sure.鈥�
Garc铆a, 26, said watching from the dugout was especially painful when fill-in starting first baseman Andr茅s Chapparo was hit by a pitch from JR Ritchie on his helmet in the fourth inning. When Chapparo was replaced the following inning, Butera turned to Brady House, who usually plays third base but made his first appearance in a game at first base.
Butera stuck with House, who only recently began taking fielding practice at first base. Butera said he removed Chapparo from the game 鈥渂ecause he was dizzy and just didn鈥檛 feel very well. And any time somebody hits hit the head, just don鈥檛 want to chance it.鈥�
Butera said Chapparo was 鈥渄oing better鈥� and had passed a concussion test.
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Associated Press freelance writer Matt Carlson in Chicago contributed to this report.
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