Nationals’ Gerardo Parra: Plays in intrasquad game

Parra (knee) participated in the Nationals’ “B” game Wednesday, seeing action at designated hitter and in right field while hitting a double and drawing two walks in his plate appearances, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

Washington has been taking it easy with Parra this spring while he works back from offseason right knee surgery, but he looks to be nearing a return to full strength. According to Jessica Camerato of MLB.com, manager Dave Martinez estimated that the non-roster invitee is about 85 percent recovered from surgery. Parra only played three of his innings in the outfield Wednesday, so he may need to prove his knee can hold up defensively for nine innings to have a realistic chance at winning an Opening Day bench role with the Nationals.

More News