Nats Reliever Roenis Elias Actually Injured Himself After Being Told Not to Swing During At-Bat

It was a curious decision for manager Dave Martinez to send newly-acquired relief pitcher Roenis Elias to the plate for an at-bat in the seventh inning. Relief pitchers don't typically hit, and Elias only had six previous plate appearances in his career.

Unfortunately, the decision backfired for the Nationals, as Elias injured his hamstring running to first base after hitting a ground ball.

The interesting part of this situation is Elias was explicitly told not to swing, yet he swung anyway.

Incredibly, Elias actually hurt himself when he ignored the manager's request. The odds of that happening are so low, but now the team needs to figure out how to handle its bullpen with one of its key pieces potentially heading to the IL.

You could also make the argument that the manager should not put a player in that position to begin with. Once you step to the plate, you want to get a hit. It's natural to want to get on base and provide for your team. Martinez still had three players on his bench who could pinch-hit as the seventh inning rolled around.

Regardless for Washington, none of this matters. The Nats have to deal with the results and hopefully keep their season afloat for the final stretch.