Friday could be looked back upon as a disastrous day for the Washington Nationals when this season comes to an end.Not only did they lose to the Atlanta Braves to go back under .500 and put themselves further back in the wild card race, but one of their best offensive players and trade chips also exited the contest early due to an injury.In the top of the seventh inning, Andres Chaparro replaced Luis Garcia Jr. despite a right-handed pitcher being on the mound. That was an unusual thing when looking at how Blake Butera manages a game, so there was some thought that Garcia might have been traded during the game. That wasn't the case, though, as the breakout slugger was removed from the lineup due to right knee soreness.Luis Garcia Jr. Now Dealing With Knee Soreness Before Trade DeadlineWashington Nationals first baseman Luis Garcia Jr. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectAt the time of writing, the Nationals did not reveal if Garcia would need to undergo further testing or if he is expected to miss any action. However, this issue popped up at the worst time for both Washington and Garcia, as his offense has been crucial to their success up to this point of the year.Finding out the severity of this injury is going to be important. If it's nothing major, then the Nationals can move forward like business as usual. But if he will be out for any period of time, that could have a negative impact on the organization.For one, if Washington is truly committed to pushing for the playoffs by adding pieces instead of selling or trying to thread the needle ahead of the trade deadline, then Garcia will be part of the roster. By not having him healthy, that would hurt their chances of making the postseason. On the other side of the coin, if the Nationals drop their next two games against the Braves, then it would be wise for them to start shipping out their best assets, which would mean that Garcia should be one of the first players who gets dealt based on the interest teams around the league have in him.Would a knee injury reduce that interest and limit what Washington could get in return? It's too early to say, but the likelihood is that any injury would either cause teams to balk at acquiring him or would make them less willing to part with high-end prospects or established big league players.It's now wait and see mode for everything regarding Garcia after he exited Friday's game early due to right knee soreness.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow