BY TODD JACOBSON

Justin Maxwell probably could have easily let the soft line drive fall in front of him for a base hit.

Few would've noticed if the Nationals' often-injured outfield prospect had pulled up, allowing a single to drop in an otherwise mundane game with Maxwell's low Single-A Hagerstown Suns Monday night.

But if injuries are the thread that runs through Maxwell's baseball career--from the broken bones that cut his career at the University of Maryland short to the ailments that followed him to the minors--how Maxwell plays won't change him.

"I try to be fearless out there," he said.

So Maxwell sprinted hard for the sinking line drive and dove, catching the ball but snagging his glove on the ground. The result for Washington's budding prospect was a hyperextended left elbow and another injury--albeit one that shouldn't keep him out for more than a couple days.

Before the injury, Maxwell had begun to realize the heaping talent that made him Washington's fourth-round pick in the 2005 First-Year Player Draft--the team's top pick after first-rounder Ryan Zimmerman.

Maxwell, who has long made scouts drool with his 6-foot-5 frame and exceptional speed, is hitting .270 with 27 RBIs, 32 runs scored and a team-high 11 home runs.

"We always knew he had power, speed and athleticism," said Bob Boone, the Nationals' director of player development. "That was easy to judge. The hard thing is, 'OK kid, go out there and prove it to us and get real consistent.' The good ones take some time and when they figure it out you get reports saying, 'He's locked in.' That's what we're seeing more and more."

Injuries were the big question marks on Maxwell's resume. He missed all of 2004 at Maryland with a broken bone in his left wrist and played just seven games in 2005 when he broke a bone in his right hand.

The Nationals drafted him more on potential than performance and he hit .269 with four homers, 33 RBIs and 20 steals at short-season Vermont last year--but only after he dealt with a sprained right knee and a broken toe.

"Last year I just take it as a learning experience and now I've just got to go out and play and become the player I am supposed to be on the field," Maxwell said. "I guess you could say it's a big year for me but at the same time I am just doing my job."

Todd Jacobson: 540/735-1974
Email: tjacobson@freelancestar.com