Nationals slugger Luis García Jr. says he is ‘both sad and happy’ for trade to Yankees

ATLANTA (AP) — Luis García Jr. wanted to help but could only watch as the Washington Nationals suffered their fifth straight loss on Sunday.

García was scratched about 30 minutes before a 4-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves. He watched the game from the dugout.

A short time later, the New York Yankees announced they got García in a trade with the Nationals in exchange for four pitchers.

“I mean, it was weird, uncomfortable, going out to a dugout and then having all the other teammates look at you,” García said through a translator.

García has spent his career with the Nationals but acknowledged he was excited to move to the Yankees.

“I mean it’s a mix of both sad and happy,” García said. “There’s a new chapter in my career, so yeah, 50-50 right now.”

In exchange for García, the Nationals received right-handed pitchers Jake Bird, Yovanny Cruz, Jack Cebert and Ben Grable.

When asked after Sunday’s 2-1 win at the Chicago Cubs about a trade for García, Yankees manager Aaron Boone was not in a mood to confirm.

The Yankees open a three-game series against the Cardinal in St. Louis on Monday night. There was no official word on whether García would be with the team.

Bird, 30, has a 5.93 ERA in 30 games with the Yankees this season, all in relief. Cruz, 26, has a 1.69 ERA in four games. Grable and Cebert have spent the full season in the minors.

Nationals manager Blake Butera confirmed he was instructed to hold García out even though a trade was not yet final.

“I was told something was really close,” Butera said. “But look, he’s (Luis) an unbelievable person, an unbelievable teammate, unbelievable leader for this clubhouse, unbelievable player, you name it. Done everything we’ve asked him to. … We’ll always love Luis and he can always play on my team.”

Being swept in a four-game series for the first time this season was painful for the Nationals, who fell three games below .500.

Perhaps more painful was the realization the Nationals were also losing García, a popular teammate who joined the organization when he was a teenager and this year has become one of the National League’s top sluggers. Entering Sunday’s games, García’s .560 slugging percentage led the league. He ranked fifth in the NL with 76 RBIs while hitting .283 with 23 homers.

When asked about García as a player, Boone said “He rakes.”

Added Yankees shortstop José Caballero: “I know that he is a great hitter. I know that. … So I’m just excited to see him here and what he can contribute for the team, for sure.”

The 26-year-old García said watching from the dugout was especially painful when fill-in starting first baseman Andrés Chapparo was hit by a pitch from JR Ritchie on his helmet in the fourth inning. When Chapparo was replaced the following inning, Butera turned to Brady House, who usually plays third base but made his first appearance in a game at first base.

Butera stuck with House, who only recently began taking fielding practice at first base. Butera said he removed Chapparo from the game “because he was dizzy and just didn’t feel very well. And any time somebody hits hit the head, just don’t want to chance it.”

Butera said Chapparo was “doing better” and had passed a concussion test.

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Associated Press freelance writer Matt Carlson in Chicago contributed to this report.

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