Please disturb this lack of groove

WASHINGTON (Map, News) - When the Nationals acquired Wily Mo Pena from the Red Sox last August, there was an assumption that he’d provide the additional power that was missing from the everyday lineup. Sure, he was less than Gold Glove caliber in the outfield, but he usually caught whatever he could get to, and it was hard to overlook his 2004 season with Cincinnati, when he homered 26 times in just 336 at-bats. Bringing him back to the National League looked like a recipe for success.

He walked in his first plate appearance in a Nats’ uniform against the Mets — not something he’d make a habit of — and later doubled and scored. In his second game he absolutely crushed a ball off the facing of the upper deck in left field at RFK Stadium, and visions of another Frank Howard started dancing in our heads. In 37 games with Washington he batted a very impressive .293, with 8 home runs and 22 RBI, along with an OPS of .856. What’s not to like?

He turned 26 this past January, and it was perfectly reasonable to expect that playing everyday in 2008 would produce 30-35 home runs and 85-90 runs batted in. Maybe he’d actually hit .300, too. After all, he was just entering his prime.

But something went wrong. Right as the season was getting underway, Pena was diagnosed with a Grade 2 strain of the left oblique. The medical report described it as “a significant tear of the muscle” and the prognosis was that he’d miss at least a month. The Nats, however, were struggling to score runs, and Wily Mo was activated and made his season debut on April 13 against Atlanta. By month’s end he was 10-for-50, all singles, with just a pair of runs batted in. Still, he was pretty much an everyday player, and we were all waiting him to bust out at the plate and remind us of last year.

We’re still waiting.

Through Sunday’s game Pena has managed only 34 hits in 163 AB’s in 53 games. He’s hit 6 doubles and just one home run, that coming a month ago against Milwaukee’s Jeff Suppan. His defense has been pretty much what it’s been in the past. Batting eighth doesn’t allow him to see many fastballs, so he’s been fed a steady diet of breaking balls and off-speed pitches, not exactly a ticket out of slump city.

Hey, I believe Pena tries as hard as anyone. I’d never question his work ethic. But how long can this club afford to keep him in the lineup, or even on the 25-man roster? I know they think that he’s going to break out of his slump at any minute, but what if he gets to the mid-point of the season and nothing has changed? He’s a great teammate for sure, but that only goes so far.

Is it possible that he returned prematurely from the disabled list, and has simply never found his groove? I’m guessing he’s out of options, but short of releasing him, you’d think they’d find a way for him to get straightened out off the active roster.

This situation can’t be allowed to continue much longer, can it?

Hear Phil Wood Saturdays at 10 a.m. on SportsTalk 980 AM and as a contributor to Nats Xtra on MASN. Contact him at philwood@dcexaminer.com.

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