Lile (back contusion) out of hospital after fall into bullpen

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Despite the downpour that canceled Washington’s game vs. Miami, there was good news in the Nationals’ clubhouse on Sunday: Daylen Lile, who was carted off the field in Fort Myers, Fla., on Saturday after falling into the Red Sox’s bullpen, is out of the hospital with no broken bones and no concussion.

The diagnosis of a lower back contusion is the best-case scenario for the outfielder and No. 6 prospect, who has already spent one of his three seasons in the pros recovering from Tommy John surgery and has the potential to make his way up the Minor League ladder this season.

Lile is among a crop of promising Nationals outfield prospects. Some are more Major League-ready -- like James Wood -- while others, like Lile, are still working their way through the pro ball ranks.

Last season, Lile slashed .269/.355/.452 between Single-A Fredericksburg and High-A Wilmington. There’s progress to be made, but he’s in a solid spot and should be able to get back to work as soon as his pain is lessened and he’s ready.

“I watched [the play] last night, about 10 times, and he really did luck out,” manager Dave Martinez said. “The fact that he was able to flip all the way -- I know it’s still painful, but it could have been a lot worse. So we’re grateful. … I mean, he’s hurting, but he’s going to be OK.”

All-in Corbin

Early in Spring Training, Patrick Corbin knew he had a lot to prove. The past few seasons have been rough for Corbin, who helped lead the Nationals’ rotation in the club’s 2019 World Series championship campaign with his second consecutive 200-plus-inning season. Then, things went awry.

Excluding the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Corbin has recorded an ERA above 5.00 each of the past three seasons. Last year was the lowest of the three (5.20).

On Sunday morning, Corbin threw a bullpen session as he continues to build up. Coaches and analytics staff flanked the southpaw, while fellow starter MacKenzie Gore also looked on.

There is a newfound focus on really honing Corbin’s craft and this collaborative effort, which is a bit of a departure from ages past for Corbin -- of course, it helps that former teammate Sean Doolittle is now part of that coaching cohort as well. Regardless, Corbin is working hard to make this season different.

Not only has Corbin tinkered with his arsenal, but he’s working more closely with the staff to regain the success he had in 2018 with the D-backs (his second All-Star nod) and in ‘19 with the Nats.

“He's really working on a lot of things that we've talked about, but [he] really has taken to heart now,” Martinez said. “He's got to use his changeup more. I mean, he developed a cutter, which so far has been really good. He can go up on occasion with a four-seam, which we talked about, but he's got to live down at the bottom of the zone.

“When he's really good, in the games that he's good, he gets a lot of ground balls and that's who he is. So he's really focused on that, and he's done well. I know he's working with [pitching coach Jim] Hickey on trying to just get that shape, that cutter shape, get more consistent, but I've always said this with him -- he's a gamer.

“He's going to go out there every five days, give you 200 innings and compete.”