Major League Baseball

Dusty Baker to attend son's graduation, miss weekend games

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 5:18 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON (AP) Dusty Baker will miss the Washington Nationals weekend series against the San Diego Padres to attend his son Darren's graduation.

Baker said he will rejoin Washington when it begins a three-game series in San Francisco on Monday, near Baker's offseason home. Bench coach Chris Speier will assume managerial duties against the Padres.

Baker's son Darren is graduating from Jesuit High School in Carmichael, California. He's committed to play college baseball at Cal.

As a 3-year-old bat boy, Darren was rescued from a potential home plate collision by J.T. Snow in Game 5 of the 2002 World Series between Baker's Giants and the Angels.