Dan Uggla playing 'big role' with Nationals despite limited playing time
Baseball fans don't see much of Dan Uggla anymore these days, but that doesn't signify that he's not having a significant impact on the Washington Nationals in his first year with the team.
Uggla has only received 85 at-bats as a member of the Nationals this season, in which he's compiled a batting average of .235, hit a home run, and driven in 12 runs.
While that's not much of an offensive impact for a player who averaged 29 home runs and 85 RBI from 2006 to 2013, he's finding another way to have a positive impact on the team.
"Dan is awesome," shortstop Ian Desmond said. "He is a big part of this ball club – a lot more than what people know. In the clubhouse, he is rallying guys, he is always picking guys up. He is always positive. He has a knowledge that he is sharing with guys, especially the bench guys. He is a smart baseball player. He is handling his business exactly the way the organization thought he would. He is just as important as anybody else on this team."
Uggla's buoyant veteran personality in the clubhouse isn't something that he's merely putting on to remain a valuable asset to the team.
He says he truly enjoys being a member of the Nats.
"I love this group of guys," the 10-year veteran second baseman said. "This organization has been pretty awesome to me since I signed with them, I'm enjoying myself."
(h/t MLB.com)
