As exepcted, the Washington Nationals will begin the season without second baseman Daniel Murphy. On Tuesday, the team placed him on the 10-day disabled list as he continues to recover and rehab from offseason knee surgery.

Washington' officials initially expressed optimism for Murphy making a return to the field before or at worst for Washington's first game of the season in Cincinnati. But it became clear late in spring training that Murphy wouldn't return in tiem and now he lands on the DL.

The news shouldn't be all that surprising given Murphy is still in the midst of rehabbing from the knee surgery and due to Washington's depth in the middle infield. The team can slide Howie Kendrick as a short-term solution at second base to give Murphy more time to rest and make sure he is at 100 percent. The 32-year-old enters a contract year and will want to be at full health to try and put up the best numbers he possibly can to improve his chances of landing one last major payday.

While Murphy is a top-five second baseman in our 2018 fantasy rankings, he will carry the medical risk. This will likely be another season under 145 games played for Murphy and if Washington decides to play it even more cautiously early in the year, fantasy owners may only get 130-135 games out of the 32-year-old.