Daniel Murphy was on the field early Friday afternoon, taking ground balls at third base, as Fred Wilpon, the Mets’ owner, and Manager Terry Collins watched.
The Mets had decided that until David Wright returns from his hamstring injury in a week or two, Murphy will move to third base. That way, they could play Dilson Herrera, a sure-handed second baseman. But it also seemed risky, playing Murphy at a position where he did not have extensive experience.
During the second inning Saturday, the Nationals had runners on second and third with two outs when Michael Taylor hit a sharp ground ball to third.