Bryce Harper pinch hit last night, but told reporters he's still not feeling good after his run-in with the right field wall in Dodger Stadium Monday night. Last night in Los Angeles, Wilson Ramos re-injured his left hamstring and Ross Detwiler suffered back spasms. Ramos is likely headed to the DL according to the Washington Nationals. Detwiler is expected to be okay after treatment on his back provided positive results. There was plenty of bad injury news out of LA this week, but there was a bit of good news out of Washington, D.C. and nearby Woodbridge, VA where Jayson Werth made a rehab start for the Nats' Class-A Advance affiliate.
In his first AB, Jayson Werth works the count full before grounding into a 4-3.
— Nationals PR (@NationalsPR) May 15, 2013
It was Werth's second day with the Potomac Nationals. Nats' GM Mike Rizzo talked about the 33-year-old outfielder's rehab plan on Wednesday morning on 106.7 the FAN in D.C.'s The Mike Rizzo Show with Holden Kushner and Danny Rouhier. "He worked out in our Class-A affiliate in Potomac [on Tuesday]," Rizzo said. "He had a full workout, like a pregame routine. And he's going to play in Potomac for a couple days and we'll see where he's at after that and we'll see if he can be activated and join the ballclub."
Werth throws out a runner at home trying to tag up from 3rd on a fly ball to right. @pnats42 Catcher Cole Leonida with a nice catch and tag.
— Nationals PR (@NationalsPR) May 15, 2013
"Jayson's injury was a precautionary disabled list to make sure it doesn't get any worse where he's out for a couple of months if that hamstring tears," Rizzo explained, "so, we feel that when he's ready to come off the DL on Saturday he should be able to, but we'll take it day-by-day and see where he's at after he plays a couple games."
Werth made his first rehab start last night in Pfitzner Stadium. According to the P-Nats report on the game, Werth, "... went 1-for-2 at the plate with a sharply struck single into center field in the 3rd inning," then, "... gunned down [Wilmington Blue Rocks'] C Parker Morin trying to tag up from third and score in the top of the 2nd inning on a laser beam one-hop throw." Werth was also involved in a run-down on the basepaths, which is probably the last thing someone recovering from a hamstring issue needs, but as he told reporters after exiting the game following three innings of work, "'It was a fun day down here in Potomac,":
"'I got some work in today. We talked about getting two to three at-bats. I got two just because of all of the activity. I feel pretty good. We'll try again tomorrow. And then we'll see.'"
In his 2nd AB, Werth laces a single to center field then takes 2nd on a pass ball.
— Nationals PR (@NationalsPR) May 15, 2013
The 33-year-old Nationals' outfielder talked to reporters after the game. Asked about the rundown he was involved in, Werth joked with a reporter who said, "You don't see those plays in the majors too often," telling him, "I don't think you see those plays in the minors either." The defensive plays, Werth said, "... were pretty standard outfield plays. Just pretty normal plays, really, all in a day's work." The plan, he explained, was to push it on Thursday, "... if I plan to come off [the DL] on Saturday. So we'll see how it goes. See how I feel tomorrow and we'll go from there."
"We're not far away that's for sure," Werth said, "So, just need to test it in game situations, game speed and we'll go from there."
Since the trip to the DL was backdated to May 3rd, Werth's eligible to return on Saturday (5/18) and as of this morning, that remains the plan. Updates on Ramos and Detwiler when they are available...
Check out Werth's post game interview below via the P-Nats official Twitter account (@PNats42):
Jayson Werth Post-Game Sound from tonight's press conference after rehabbing with P-Nats: tinyurl.com/bojujz6
— Potomac Nationals (@PNats42) May 16, 2013