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The last official word from Washington Nationals' skipper Matt Williams was that the Nats were taking a wait-and-see approach with Ryan Zimmerman and his sore right shoulder. Zimmerman was lifted from Saturday's game with the Atlanta Braves after experiencing pain on a play on which he had to backhand a grounder and throw across the field. Two innings later he was out of the lineup.
A subsequent MRI revealed inflammation but no structural damage to the Nationals' 29-year-old third baseman's surgically-repaired right shoulder.
"He's got some inflammation in his shoulder," the Nationals' first-year skipper told reporters on Sunday afternoon. "So we gave him today and tomorrow. We're going to reevaluate on Tuesday. The MRI showed no structural issues but there's some inflammation there, so we're going to look at that certainly on Tuesday and see how he feels. But as of right now he's got today and tomorrow off."
A report from Nationals Park this afternoon by Washington Post writer Adam Kilgore said Zimmerman was on the field early taking grounders at third base:
Ryan Zimmerman is getting early work in at third base. He's practicing throwing sidearm on routine and backhand plays, which is a new tack.
— Adam Kilgore (@AdamKilgoreWP) April 8, 2014
When the lineup was released, however, Zimmerman's name was not included:
#Nats lineup vs. #Marlins: Span CF, Harper LF, Werth RF, LaRoche 1B, Desmond SS, Rendon 3B, Espinosa 2B, Lobaton C, Gonzalez P
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) April 8, 2014
Williams is scheduled to speak to reporters shortly and will undoubtedly have an update on Zimmerman's status.
The Nationals' '05 1st Round pick played through pain for several seasons before undergoing surgery following a 2012 campaign in which he received four cortisone shots so he could stay in the lineup as the Nats made a successful run at the first postseason appearance since the franchise relocated to the nation's capital.
Ryan Zimmerman Injury Update from Sunday
Photo © Brad Barr/USA TODAY Sports
Williams said Sunday that the Nationals weren't going to discuss alternative plans until they knew one way or another if Zimmerman would be able to continue playing.
"What we need to do is make sure he's good," the manager said. "So we'll take the appropriate steps to make sure it's good. And once it does, then he's going to play third for us. So, until that time. There may be some adjustment within there. But I don't anticipate that being a long time."