Washington Nationals: Anthony Rendon's Ankle Injury Could Delay Arrival [UPDATE]

>>> CSN's Mark Zuckerman is reporting that Anthony Rendon broke his left ankle when he fell while rounding third base on Saturday afternoon. He's scheduled to see a specialist on Friday, and more information should be available following the examination. <<<

The Washington Nationals were dealt an unfortunate blow on Sunday afternoon, after news surfaced that Anthony Rendon—the organization's No. 2 prospect and the No. 10 prospect in baseball—had left his Class A game with an ankle injury. 

Playing for High-A Potomac, the sixth overall pick in the 2011 draft sustained the injury while rounding third base as he tried to score on a single by teammate Justin Bloxom.

This isn't the first time an injury has delayed the 21-year-old's development, either.

As freshman at Rice in 2009, Rendon earned Freshman of the Year honors after batting .388 with 20 home runs and 72 RBI, while also playing slick defense at the hot corner.

However, the right-handed hitter tore ligaments in his right ankle while playing in Rice's final game of the season.

In 2010, his sophomore campaign, Rendon won the Dick Howser Trophy after batting .394 with 26 home runs and 85 RBI while starting in all 63 games. Perhaps what was more impressive was the fact that he posted a 22/65 K/BB rate.  

And then, nearly a year after sustaining the initial injury, Rendon broke the same ankle while playing in his first game as a member of Team USA.

Still recovering from the broken ankle during the 2011 season—which was also the first season in which the NCAA implemented the use of BBCOR bats—his power numbers took a significant dive. As a junior, Rendon batted .327/.510/.523 with six home runs and a 27 percent walk rate, while serving as the team's designated hitter for the majority of the season.

Although he has regained enough speed and agility to warrant consideration as the Nationals' future second baseman, he's also noticeably lost a step since injuring his ankle for the second time. 

So, naturally, any injury involving Rendon—let alone his legs or ankles—is incredibly worrisome.

We don't know the severity of the injury yet and probably won’t hear anything until the morning. But from the sound of it, it has the potential to be bad; Rendon was helped off the field by the team's training staff.

The best available bat in the 2011 draft class, Rendon's advanced plate discipline and ability to drive the ball to all fields with power had him on the quiet fast-track to the major leagues. However, his latest injury will likely delay his big-league arrival, as the Nationals will clearly err on the side of caution.

As fans, all we can do is hope the injury's not as serious as it sounds.