Danny Espinosa started at second base and went 1-for-4 in Tuesday's victory over the Marlins.

With Anthony Rendon starting at third base for the injured Ryan Zimmerman, Espinosa got the start at second base. Zimmerman will return to the lineup on Wednesday, however, which means Rendon returns to second base and Espinosa returns to the bench.

Danny Espinosa hit a pair of solo homers Saturday to lead the Nationals to a 6-5 win over the Marlins.

Adam LaRoche and Espinosa went back-to-back off Kevin Slowey in the seventh, and Espinosa went on to win the game with a homer off Chaz Roe in the ninth. The homers were Espinosa's first two of the spring. It's likely too late for him to get back into the mix for the starting job at second base, but he will have a spot as a utilityman.

Danny Espinosa went 0-for-3 on Friday, lowering his spring average to .184.

The Nationals keep talking up Espinosa and insist that they're not trading him, but Espinosa hasn't done anything on the field to back it up. He's yet to homer in 38 at-bats this spring, and he has just two doubles. He is playing fine defense, but that's about it. He hasn't made any sort of competition of the second base job that always figured to go to Anthony Rendon.

Danny Espinosa will see time at both middle infield spots this spring in preparation for a possible utility role.

Espinosa's main goal this spring is to win the second base job, but if he loses out to Anthony Rendon he could still make the club as a utility infielder. Espinosa had a forgettable 2013 season in which he batted .158/.193/.272, but the 26-year-old has been better at the plate in previous years. He'll need a strong spring to have any fantasy relevance this year.

Nationals manager Matt Williams declared Sunday that there will be an "open competition" between Anthony Rendon and Danny Espinosa for the team's starting second base job.

It's unlikely that Espinosa will be able to supplant Rendon, but did show off his offensive ability in 2011 and 2012 where he slashed .242/.319/.408 with 38 homers, 122 RBI and 37 stolen bases in 318 games. Espinosa will also see time at shortstop and third base during the spring, and could still make the squad in a utility role.

Bill Ladson of MLB.com reports that "at least a dozen" teams have inquired on Danny Espinosa this offseason.

Plenty of clubs haven't looked to buy low on Espinosa after his disappointing 2013 campaign, but the Nationals don't appear to be selling. The 26-year-old will compete for the second base job in spring training but is expected to eventually slide into a utility role.

According to Andrew Simon of MLB.com, Danny Espinosa is in the best shape of his life and has been told he'll be given a chance to compete for the Nationals starting job at second base.

It's that time of the year again where fluff peices run rampant and every player in the league is in their finest physical condition ever. It sounds as if it's simply a motivational tactic to get Espinosa to perform, as he's unlikely to unseat Anthony Rendon as the Nats starter at second base. He could conceivably win a bench spot though, and as always his power and speed combination has NL-only and mixed league value should he come into regular at-bats.

Mark Zuckerman of CSN Washington reports that the Nationals have "no intention" of trading Danny Espinosa.

The Nationals have draw interest in Espinosa, mostly notably from the Yankees, but they aren't interested in moving him with his value at its nadir. The 26-year-old really struggled while playing through injuries this past season, but he's expected to open 2014 as a utility infielder.

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports that while the Nationals have received interest in infielder Danny Espinosa, especially from the Yankees, they remain reluctant to trade him.

With Anthony Rendon at second base and Ian Desmond at shortsotp, Espinosa is relegated to a utility role in 2014. Espinosa struggled last season after being hit in the wrist with a pitch in April. The Nationals relegated him to Triple-A Syracuse, where he posted a .566 OPS. He posted a .465 OPS in 167 plate appearances in the Majors.

Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports reports that the Nationals are shopping infielder Danny Espinosa.

Espinosa struggled through injuries this past season, both in the majors and the minors. While his plate discipline is unlikely to improve, he could make for a decent buy-low opportunity. Anthony Rendon has emerged as the starting second baseman, so Espinosa will likely function as a utility infielder if he remains in Washington.

According to Bill Ladson of MLB.com, the Nationals will give Danny Espinosa an opportunity to make the team as a reserve infielder in 2014.

After a breakout season in 2012 where he swatted 21 homers, Espinosa's poor plate discipline and free-swinging ways got the best of him in 2013, where he slashed a horrendous .158/.193/.272 with three homers, 12 RBI and a 47/4 K/BB ratio in 44 games before being demoted to Triple-A. While he's an excellent defender, unless he improves his approach and cuts down on the strikeouts, he's unlikely to help the Nationals or fantasy owners.

Nationals GM Mike Rizzo said this week that Danny Espinosa should be healthy at the start of 2014.

Espinosa tried to play through a torn rotator cuff in 2013 and experienced disastrous results, batting just .158/.193/.272 in 44 major league games and spending most of the summer at Triple-A. The expectation is that he'll bounce back to some degree next season. "Espinosa is checked out," said Rizzo. "His shoulder is healthy and he's ready to commence his baseball activities to get ready for spring training."

The Nationals elected not to promote Danny Espinosa when rosters expanded because they didn't want him to sit on the bench.

"I know he's got a lot of talent," Nats manager Davey Johnson said. "It would be nice to put him in to pinch-run and occasionally pinch-hit and provide some defense. He could do that. But it's so far down his role, that would be such a lesser role than what I've always envisioned for him while he's been here. So he could be more mad at me, because I did not want him here and not have him in the lineup. It's that simple." Actually it's not. What it is is a convenient excuse that doesn't hold up under scrutiny. Triple-A Syracuse's season is over, so Johnson apparently thinks baseball fans will believe that it's more productive for a player to sit at home than on a big league bench. Washington has soured on Espinosa past any reasonable demarcation point. They will shop him heavily over the winter.

Bill Ladson of MLB.com was told by a source that the Nationals are trying to trade Danny Espinosa.

The source also believes that Espinosa will not play another game for the Nationals this season. The 26-year-old struggled through wrist and shoulder injuries with the big club earlier this year and is hitting just .208/.271/.283 with two homers and 97 strikeouts through 292 plate appearances in Triple-A. Still, someone could take a chance and buy low. The 26-year-old will be arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter.

The Nationals aren't planning to recall Danny Espinosa when rosters expand.

They simply don't think he's earned a promotion, and it's hard to argue given that he's hit only .202/.267/.277 over 238 minor league at-bats this season. "It's also a reward system when you get called back up," manager Davey Johnson said. "It's a reward on how you did down there, and he's not doing the things I know he's capable of doing." Espinosa is arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter and could wind up getting traded or non-tendered.

Danny Espinosa is batting .486 (17-for-35) over his last 10 games at Triple-A Syracuse.

He has four doubles, a triple and two home runs over that stretch. It was a much-needed turnaround, as Espinosa was in a tailspin at the dish before his recent hot streak. He's likely to be back up with the Nats later this season, but, barring injury, it will be as a utility player.

Danny Espinosa is batting just .106 (5-for-47) with 29 strikeouts since he's demotion to Triple-A Syracuse.

Yikes. Espinosa's wrist no longer appears to be an issue, but he's obviously lost at the plate right now and won't be recalled anytime soon. Anthony Rendon owners should be feeling quite comfortable that he'll remain the Nationals' everyday second baseman from here on out.

Danny Espinosa started at shortstop on both Saturday and Sunday for the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs.

That is actually Espinosa's natural position -- he made the move to second base only when he was called up to the Nationals in 2010. Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post suspects (and his insider sources agree) that Espinosa's defensive abilities are being showcased for a potential trade. Anthony Rendon is currently serving as Washington's starting second baseman.

Nationals activated 2B Danny Espinosa from the 15-day disabled list; optioned him to Triple-A Syracuse.

An expected move, as Espinosa batted just .118 (2-for-17) with 10 strikeouts over six rehab games in Triple-A. His wrist is apparently feeling better, but he'll need to have better results before returning to the majors. Anthony Rendon will continue to handle second base duties for the Nats for now.

Danny Espinosa (wrist) could stay in the minors once his 20-day rehab window expires.

Espinosa's wrist is feeling better, but it hasn't shown in his performance thus far in Triple-A, as he's hitting just .118 (2-for-17) with 10 strikeouts over his first six games. Anthony Rendon is playing well during his absence, so there's no reason to make a change if Espinosa continues to struggle during his rehab stint.