1 Wilmer Difo SS

Difo will start at third base and bat second Sunday against the Phillies, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.

Difo lost out on an everyday gig at shortstop when Carter Kieboom was promoted to the majors April 25, but the utility man has now re-entered the starting nine three times in five games due to a deluge of injuries hitting the roster. With Matt Adams (shoulder) and Juan Soto (back) joining Ryan Zimmerman (foot) and Anthony Rendon (elbow) on the injured list this weekend, Difo could handle at least a part-time role for the next several contests.

Difo went 2-for-3 with a walk and solo home run Thursday against the Giants.

Difo took Drew Pomeranz deep in the fourth inning, his second homer of the season. He gained a regular role with the injury to Trea Turner (finger), but has struggled to produce in a meaningful way by hitting .229/.315/.375 across 52 plate appearances. He has looked a bit better in his last four games, however, going 5-for-13 with a double and home run.

Difo went 1-for-3 in Sunday's loss to the Pirates.

Forced into the starting lineup at shortstop in place of Trea Turner (finger), Difo has gone 3-for-24 over the last seven games, although he has salvaged some value with four walks. Carter Kieboom is raking at Triple-A (.382/.488/.618 through nine games), but the Nats don't seem anxious to rush their No. 3 fantasy prospect to the majors, giving Difo some job security until Turner gets healthy. If the 27-year-old continues to struggle at the plate, however, GM Mike Rizzo might have to consider other options.

Difo went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Saturday's loss to the Mets.

His eighth-inning shot off Jeurys Familia gave the Nats a 5-3 lead that their bullpen promptly coughed up in the bottom half of the frame. Difo has collected a hit in all four of his starts since Trea Turner (finger) got hurt, although Saturday's homer was his first extra-base hit of the year, and his starting role is very secure considering he's the only true shortstop on the Washington roster at the moment.

Difo went 1-for-3 with two RBI in Thursday's win over the Mets.

Making his second start since Trea Turner broke his finger, Difo pushed across the first run of the game with a sacrifice bunt in the second inning, then added an insurance run in the ninth with an RBI single. The 27-year-old will have some fantasy value in deeper formats while he's seeing regular playing time, but his biggest impact should come from an occasional stolen base.