'You live and you learn': Lipscomb grateful to return to Nationals

CHICAGO -- Rookie Trey Lipscomb was called up to the Nationals during their first and last road trips of the season. Along the way, he learned about himself as a Major League player.

“There's been a lot of ups and downs, but I'm just grateful for all the opportunities that I've been given,” Lipscomb, 24, said. “I feel like that's what's going to get me better as a person -- not only on the field, but also off the field.”

Lipscomb was recalled from Triple-A Rochester for his fifth stint with the Nationals on Saturday when shortstop CJ Abrams was optioned to the Red Wings. The following afternoon, Lipscomb started at third base at Wrigley Field.

“Finish strong, that's kind of been my mentality down in Triple-A,” Lipscomb said before the Nationals’ 5-0 loss to the Cubs. “I feel like I’ve been on the right path to do that. I feel like the last week here, that's what we want to do.”

Lipscomb debuted on March 30 in Cincinnati after third baseman Nick Senzel sustained a broken thumb. MLB Pipeline ranked him as the Nationals’ No. 16 prospect at the time. Since then, he's appeared in 59 games with the Nationals and 65 contests with the Red Wings.

“I’m going to try to get him in there here and there for the week,” manager Dave Martinez said. “There are a lot of guys I want to see play. For him, I just want to see him be aggressive up at the plate. … I know what we’re going to get on defense. He’s really good out there. But we’re going to teach him to get on the fastballs.”

Lauded for his defensive versatility, Lipscomb has played all around the field on both levels. In the Majors, he has played at third base (54 games), first base (4) and second base (2). On the Red Wings, he has taken the field at third base (25 games), second base (22), first base (14), left field (5), shortstop (1) and designated hitter (1).

“I feel like I've grown the most at second base this year,” Lipscomb said. “I played a lot of third base, obviously, through the Minor Leagues. I started playing a little bit more of all the other positions when Brady [House] and YoYo [Yohandy Morales] came up to Double-A last year. I played second base almost every day in camp, but I’ve been playing all over the place -- I played a little bit of left the last few weeks in Triple-A. I just feel like me going out there and showing I can play every day and playing all the positions helps me out a lot.”

Lipscomb impressed in Spring Training, batting .400 in 21 games. He hit .283 with 14 doubles and 35 RBIs throughout the season in Triple-A. There has been a learning curve in the Major Leagues, where Lipscomb is batting .202.

“[Most recently in Triple-A, I worked on] controlling the strike zone, getting a pitch I can drive,” he said. “I feel like a lot in my career, I’ve kind of been a good bat-to-ball hitter. I would put it in play and make good contact with it. But down there, I was working on really trying to drive the ball.”

Lipscomb is part of a young Nationals core that gained valuable experience playing together in Spring Training and throughout this season. When Lipscomb returns next season, he will have that much more familiarity with the team and Major League ball.

“Obviously, it wasn’t the way I wanted things to go,” Lipscomb said. “But you live and you learn, and I feel like that’s one of the things that I accomplished this year and I just want to use that going into the offseason.”