Washington Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond says he's ready to be activated from the disabled list and rejoin the starting lineup, according to the Washington Post's Adam Kilgore.
"If my name's in the lineup, I'm going to play," said Desmond in the Post article. MLB.com's Adam Berry previously Tweeted that Desmond could be activated Friday.
Desmond has hit .286/.322/.503 in 385 plate appearances this season. He was placed on the disabled list on July 22 and given a five-week timetable for recovery but has progressed better than expected.
In Desmond's absence, Danny Espinosa has been the team's regular shortstop with Steve Lombardozzi playing second base. While Lombardozzi is the most logical candidate to be demoted once Desmond is activated, he's been making the decision difficult by posting five multi-hit efforts in his last seven games, including the Nationals' Wednesday afternoon matchup with the Giants.
