Washington Nationals officially activate from DL, then demote Danny Espinosa

The Washington Nationals Wednesday officially activated 2B Danny Espinosa from the disabled list, then optioned him to AAA-Syracuse. Espinosa was in Syracuse already on a rehab assignment after he was placed on the Major League disabled list with a fracture in his right wrist. In 20 at bats so far for Syracuse, Espinosa is 2-for-20 with 13 strikeouts.

Espinosa injured his shoulder late in 2012, which he revealed in spring training this season to be a partially torn rotator cuff. In April, he was hit by a Paul Maholm fastball in the right wrist, and initially took a couple days off to allow the swelling to go down. Initial X-rays did not show a break, but after two months of utter futility at the plate (.158/.193/.272 in 167 plate appearances) the team re-examined his right and found a fracture and bone chips.

Espinosa took a week off, then began a rehab assignment in Syracuse, but thus far hasn’t been any better there than he was for the Nats this season.