Espinosa is out of the lineup Sunday against the Rockies.

Espinosa has worked his way into the lineup in back-to-back games, but will rest for the afternoon contest while Anthony Rendon takes over at the keystone. With Rendon back in action, Espinosa -- who has just 12 at-bats in eight team games in August -- is in line to see reduced playing time.

Espinosa (calf) will start at second base and bat second in the order Sunday against the Dodgers, MLB.com's William Ladson reports.

Espinosa had to exit Saturday's contest early due to cramps in both calves, but rest and rehydration was enough to prevent him from missing any time. He'll return to his regular role at second base, which he should sustain until Anthony Rendon (quad) is ready to return.

Espinosa left Saturday's outing against the Dodgers due to cramps in both of his calves, Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post reports.

Because the ailment occurred in the ninth inning, Espinosa isn't expected to miss much, if any, time. Consider him day-to-day going forward, but Emmanuel Burris will likely get the nod at the keystone, if Espinosa requires additional time on the pine.

Espinosa was removed from Saturday's game against the Dodgers in the ninth inning due to a left leg injury, Mark Zuckerman of CSN Washington reports.

Espinosa suffered the ailment on a dive to his left and required the support of a trainer to leave the field. The severity of the injury is unknown, but tests following the contest should clarify the diagnosis. In the meantime, consider him day-to-day, while Emmanuel Burris takes over at second base.

Washington Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa left Saturday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers due to cramps in both calves, according to the Washington Post.

Washington Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa left Saturday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers due to cramps in both calves, according to the Washington Post. Espinosa was not removed until the ninth inning in favor of Emmanuel Burris, and is questionable to play Sunday.

Espinosa hit well Monday, going 2-for-4 with a double and a solo home run.

Espinosa has gotten hot the last few days, collecting five hits in his last three games. The utility man has proven to be a useful piece for the injury-ravaged Nationals this year, hitting .262 with nine home runs and 25 RBI.

Espinosa is out of the lineup against the Braves on Wednesday.

Having played in every game since May 23, Espinosa will start the night in the dugout, though he may be available to pinch hit. Espinosa has 11 hits over his last seven games.

Espinosa will make his first career start at first base Saturday, James Wagner of the Washington Post reports.

Not only is it Espinosa's first start at first base in the majors, it's his first appearance at first at any level as a professional. Clint Robinson and Tyler Moore have both seen time at the position as well since Ryan Zimmerman (foot) hit the DL, and manager Matt Williams may opt for some sort of three-headed rotation until Zimmerman makes it back.

Espinosa went 3-for-5 with a solo homer and two runs scored in Wednesday's road win against the Yankees.

He did quite a lot of damage as the No. 9 hitter. It was just the second time all year that Espinosa's had three hits in a game (he went 4-for-5 on April 29), but he's in the midst of a strong campaign, providing solid middle-infield power. There's been talk of Espinosa seeing time in left field, but he started at second Wednesday, with Anthony Rendon at third and Yunel Escobar serving as the DH.

Espinosa could see some starts in left field going forward, the Washington Post's James Wagner reports.

Manager Matt Williams said he was impressed with the throws Espinosa has made from left field since being an emergency fill-in for Denard Span in Sunday's game. Considering Espinosa is one of the team's hottest eight bats at the moment, this makes sense with Span, Jayson Werth, Nate McLouth and Reed Johnson all banged up. It could not come at a better time for Espinosa's owners, as Anthony Rendon's return from the DL has cut into his playing time in the infield.

Espinosa entered Sunday's game in the eighth inning after Denard Span was forced to exit due to back spasms, and played left field for the first time in his career, the Washington Post reports.

Tyler Moore was already playing first base and Clint Robinson had been used as a pinch-hitter, so Espinosa was simply Nats manager Matt Williams' outfielder of last resort. Still, in leagues with very lax position eligibility, Espinosa may have picked up a little extra value.

Espinosa got the start at second base Friday and went 2-for-3 with a double, two runs scored, three RBI and his seventh home run of the season.

Out of nowhere, Espinosa's having the best year of his career at the plate, slashing .253/.355/.452 with a vastly improved 20:37 BB:K ratio in 46 games. Yunel Escobar's minor wrist injury could keep him in the starting lineup for a few more days, but with Anthony Rendon finally off the DL, at-bats could be hard to come by for Espinosa over the summer despite his improvement.

Espinosa is out of the lineup Wednesday against the Cubs.

Espinosa will take a seat Wednesday following an 0-for-6 stretch at the plate including four strikeouts in the last two games. Dan Uggla will start in his place, batting seventh for the Nationals.

Espinosa is out of the lineup Saturday, the Washington Post's Chelsea Janes reports.

The toolsy second baseman has improved his contact rate this year, earning regular starts at the keystone via his bat and his glove. Dan Uggla gets the start Saturday and will hit seventh against the Phillies.

Espinosa got the start at second base on Friday before shifting to third in a double-switch, going 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, a run scored and two RBI.

He's been on fire recently, hitting .345 (10-for-29) over his last eight games with two home runs, five RBI and 10 runs scored. Anthony Rendon (knee/oblique) still appears to be a few weeks away from returning to action, so Espinosa will continue to see regular at-bats and provide some surprising value in the short term.

Espinosa went 2-for-4 with a pair of home runs and three RBI in Washington's win over the Braves on Friday night.

Espinosa is now hitting .254 with four homers and eight RBI on the season. Both he and Dan Uggla have been streaky this year, and manager Matt Williams seems content to go with the hot hand.

Espinosa is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Marlins.

Espinosa has recorded just three hits and no RBI since going 4-for-5 in last Wednesday's game, so manager Matt Williams decided to hold him out Tuesday. Dan Uggla will start at second base in Espinosa's place.

Espinosa got the start at second base on Friday, going 1-for-3 with a solo home run, but shifted over to third base when Yunel Escobar exited with a minor groin strain.

He's now hitting .286 (4-for-14) on the season with two home runs, and miraculously has more walks (three) than strikeouts (two). Look for Espinosa to continue getting the nod at third while Escobar is recovering, and as long as he keeps making contact he could be a useful short-term pickup.

Espinosa got the start at second base on Monday, going 1-for-3 with a two-run home run.

It was his first long ball of the season. Espinosa's numbers so far aren't bad (2-for-7 with both hits going for extra bases, and just one strikeout) and with Dan Uggla struggling out of the gate, Espinosa could start to see more of the action at second base.

Espinosa got the start at second base on Saturday, hitting eighth and going 1-for-4 with a double and a run scored.

It was his first action of the season, as Dan Uggla had gotten the previous four starts at second base. At this point, it looks like Espinosa is being considered only as a bench player, but if Uggla fails to add any offense to the Nationals' lineup, manager Matt Williams may elect to switch to Espinosa's more valuable glove at the keystone instead.