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Wire Taps: Nationals injury updates via Matt Williams on MLB Network Radio

Ryan Zimmerman isn't quite ready to return to the Washington Nationals just yet. The 29-year-old Nats' third baseman is still a few weeks away. Matt Williams said Adam LaRoche should be back at the end of his DL stint. Wilson Ramos' power should return...

By Patrick Reddington

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Christian Petersen

Washington Nationals' manager Matt Williams made an appearance on MLB Network Radio on Wednesday morning to update Power Alley hosts Mike Ferrin and Jim Duquette on some of the injuries currently keeping some expected everyday players out of the lineup. Williams talked at length about Ryan Zimmerman's status as he recovers from a fractured right thumb, giving them the latest news.

"This is week five. At the end of four weeks he had an X-ray and it all looks good. The doctors aren't really ready to clear him yet..." - - Matt Williams on Ryan Zimmerman

The initial estimate was that the 29-year-old third baseman would miss 4-6 weeks as he recovered, but after five weeks it looks like that might have been a best-case guess.

"This is week five," Williams said. "At the end of four weeks he had an X-ray and it all looks good. The doctors aren't really ready to clear him yet, because in any X-ray as it starts to develop that callus around the fracture, you still see the fracture. And what we don't want is some kind of setback at this point, because then it runs another six weeks, so they're cautious but optimistic about it.  I think at the end of this coming week he'll get another [X-ray] and if it all looks good then, then I think he can start his rehab, his strengthening, stuff like that."

MLB Network Radio's Twitter account sent out some more highlights from Williams' interview:

More on the Nationals' injured players, healthy players, minor leaguers and more below. Links and lots of them, starting... RIGHT NOW!!:

• THE BIG STORY!!!:

• "Ray is 22, left-handed and filled with promise – the reason Dombrowski called him the key to the deal from a Detroit perspective." - "Robbie Ray showing Tigers’ side of Fister trade" - Barry Svrluga, The Washington Post

• NATS BEAT:

• "The Diamondbacks’ pen has been a mess this season, but Brad Ziegler hasn’t been the problem. This time, he was." - "Ian Desmond delivers clutch hit to give Nationals win over Arizona" - Mark Zuckerman, Nats Insider

• "'We have a big game [on Wednesday against the D-backs] that would make us two games over .500. The way we played at times, the injuries that we have had, I think we are in a good spot,' Werth said." - "Werth: Nats in good place considering injuries" - Bill Ladson, nationals.com: News

• "LaRoche left the Nationals in Phoenix on Tuesday and returned to Washington ahead of the team, which will fly back after Wednesday’s game." - "Adam LaRoche resting quad in Washington, expected back from DL when eligible" - James Wagner, The Washington Post

• "Span was facing Diamondbacks' set-up man Brad Ziegler, who had not allowed a run in his previous 18 1/3 innings. Ziegler allowed all four runs in the ninth." - "Nationals Pastime: Williams, Fister and Desmond weigh in on Nats' win over Diamondbacks" - Courtney Lofgren, MASNSports.com

• "The first pitch from Arizona Diamondbacks reliever Brad Ziegler to Ian Desmond was destined to be hit." - "Ian Desmond, Doug Fister deliver strong performances as Nationals beat D-Backs, 5-1" - James Wagner, The Washington Post

• "Desmond figured to be the last guy on the roster the Nationals needed to worry about entering the season, but he has struggled at the plate and in the field." - "After 40 games, some good, some bad and some ugly for the Nationals" - Mark Zuckerman, Nats Insider

• "Oddly enough, at the same point during last year’s disappointing season, the Nationals were also 21-19." - "Assessing the Nationals through one quarter of the season" - James Wagner, Washington Post

• "The Nationals come back to the area with a 21-19 record, now trailing the Braves by 1 1/2 games in the National League East." - "Nationals Pastime: At the quarter pole" - Dan Kolko, MASNSports.com

• "Williams is familiar with Ziegler, having watched him the previous two-plus seasons with the D-backs." - "Washington Nationals at Arizona Diamondbacks - May 14, 2014" - Bill Ladson, MLB.com WSH Recap

• "Williams said Fister can draw on games from the past when things did not go well and how he was able to get through those situations." - "Williams: Fister needs to sink the ball; updates LaRoche's recovery" - Byron Kerr, MASNSports

• "Nationals manager Matt Williams challenged an umpire's call in the ninth inning of Wednesday's 5-1 victory over the D-backs, and it ended up going in Washington's favor." - "Nationals win late challenge, call overturned" - Bill Ladson, nationals.com: News

• "As the replay was shown on the scoreboard, fans cheered Pollock’s catch. But they also seemed confused by Williams’s challenge. The review didn’t last long." - "Explaining the Nationals’ ninth-inning challenge" - James Wagner, The Washington Post

• "Thursday marks a rare day off for Desmond. Despite this week's recent uptick at the plate, does manager Matt Williams believe Desmond needs a day or two off?" - "Williams: Desmond getting better defensively, doesn't need days off" - Byron Kerr, MASNSports.com

• "Before welcoming in our guests, Tim and I compared the 2014 Nationals to last year’s club, broke down their starting pitching struggles and discussed the impact of Adam LaRoche’s injury." - "Podcast: ‘Baseball in the District’ – @injuryexpert Will Carroll" - Chase Hughes, Nats Insider

• Your Daily Message from the Dalai Lama on Twitter (@DalaiLama):

• NATIONAL(S) BEAT:

• "The Nationals scored four runs in the top of the ninth inning with McCarthy out of the game to cruise past the D-backs, 5-1, in the rubber game at Chase Field." - "Washington Nationals at Arizona Diamondbacks - May 14, 2014" - Jesse Sanchez, MLB.com ARI Recap

• "Although Roark is one of the most talented pitchers on the Nats, two years ago it seemed doubtful he would even have a big league career." - "New York Mets at Washington Nationals - May 16, 2014" - Anthony DiComo, MLB.com Preview

• "It’s intellectually dishonest to claim that the Tigers won the trade — which sent Fister to the Washington Nationals in exchange for Ray, lefty reliever Ian Krol, and the already departed utility man Steve Lombardozzi — just because Ray’s first two starts went well." - "DETROIT TIGERS: Ray happy to get support from fans" - Matthew B. Mowery, Source Newspapers

• "Niese is available in 54% of leagues right now and faces a Nationals team that is struggling to score runs in May..." - "Streamer Report: Streaming Options for Friday" - Ray Guilfoyle, Fake Teams

• NATS MINORS:

• Low-A Hagerstown: "The Hagerstown Suns (30-8) improved to 8-0 against the Lakewood BlueClaws (13-24) this season with a 4-2 win on Wednesday night at Municipal Stadium." - "Suns stay unbeaten against Lakewood with 4-2 win" - Eli Pearlstein, Hagerstown Suns News

• High-A Potomac: "Frederick got to Ross Ohlendorf, on rehab assignment from the Washington Nationals, for seven runs on 11 hits through 2 1-3 innings." - "Keys rough up Nationals' Ohlendorf" - The Frederick News-Post : Sports

• High-A Potomac: "Washington Nationals RHP Ross Ohlendorf (0-1), the losing pitcher, joined the P-Nats for the second time in his career in a rehabilitation start while nursing a lumbar strain." - "Keys Rock P-Nats Using 20 Hits to Take Finale 12-5" - Potomac Nationals News

• "Washington Nationals RHP Ross Ohlendorf (0-1), the losing pitcher, joined the P-Nats for the second time in his career in a rehabilitation start while nursing a lumbar strain." - "Frederick rocks Potomac Nationals, 12-5" - Augusta Free Press

• Double-A Harrisburg: Rubber Ducks 4, Senators 2 - Kevin Keyes - 1 for 4, HR - Harrisburg Senators Scoreboard

• "First Impressions" - Luke Erickson, NationalsProspects.com

• "In an afternoon duel between two pitchers, the Washington Nationals needed a ninth inning rally to defeat the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix, 5-1." - "Washington Nationals Game 40 Review: Ninth Inning Drama Defeats DBacks" - Brian Skinnell, District Sports Page

• Triple-A Syracuse: "Right-hander Taylor Hill earned the win with five innings of shutout ball, and shortstop Emmanuel Burriss picked up the game's biggest hit with a two-run double." - "Syracuse Chiefs shut out the Toledo Mud Hens in rain-delayed game" -

• Triple-A Syracuse: "The Syracuse Chiefs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals, beat the Toledo Mud Hens, 3-0, in a rain-delayed game from Fifth Third Field on Wednesday afternoon." - "Chiefs shut out Mud Hens in rain-delayed game" - Syracuse Chiefs News

• "While the Double-A Harrisburg Senators continue to struggle with an 11-26 record, two of their top prospects are producing." - "Federal Reserve: Strong May Starts In The Minors" - Zach Spedden, The Nats Blog

• "Giolito, the Nationals' top-ranked prospect, has improved progressively throughout each one of his starts this season." - "Nationals Minor League Spotlight: Jhonatan Solano, Lucas Giolito" - Nate Harold, PressBoxDC

• "Thursday’s News & Notes" - Luke Erickson, NationalsProspects.com

• NATSTOWN:

• "The Nationals are continuing their efforts to move their spring training headquarters to Palm Beach County, and they may not be the only team exiting Space Coast Stadium in Viera, Fla." - "Nationals Pastime: Nats continue pursuit of new spring home in Palm Beach County" - Pete Kerzel, MASNSports.com

• "Lenticular Strasburg" - Harper, Nationals Baseball

• "Bryce Harper’s T-Mobile commercial is strange" - Scott Allen, DC Sports Bog

• "The Nationals racing presidents made an appearance at the ESPN 'up fronts' on Tuesday in New York City, joining executives on Broadway’s Minskoff Theater stage for the network’s annual gathering of media buyers." - "Nats racing president Teddy Roosevelt to appear in ESPN Sportscenter ad" - Presidents Race Fan, Let Teddy Win!

• "...the actual Williams wasn’t even slightly amused by the attention from his mascot counterpart..." - "Manager Matt Williams Wants Nothing To Do With Mascot Matt Williams" - Ashley Burns, uproxx.com

• "Statistically Speaking: Stephen Strasburg’s Heat" - Stuart Wallace, District Sports Page

• "TJ Surgery epidemic: upbringing, showcases and mechanics" - Todd Boss, Nationals Arm Race

• "One of the biggest problems facing the Nationals in 2014 is lack of consistency their overall performance due to health-related issues." - "Making do and searching for consistency" - Nationals Buzz: Rachel Levitin

• "The Nats continued their record of being pretty damn terrible against starting pitching." - "The easy part" - Harper, Nationals Baseball

• NL EAST UPDATES:

• Marlins: "We crave speed. It's one of the greatest allures in the game, especially when it comes in the form of a fireballing young pitcher." - "Jose Fernandez likely the latest power arm to undergo Tommy John surgery" - Jorge L. Ortiz, USA TODAY Sports

• Marlins: "Ed Lucas, Reed Johnson and Jeff Mathis – starting in place of regulars Derek Dietrich, Marcell Ozuna and Jarrod Saltalamacchia – all homered in support of Anthony DeSclafani, who became the ninth pitcher in club history to start and win his major league debut." - "Miami Marlins: Offense errupts in right-hander Anthony DeSclafani's MLB debut" - Juan C. Rodriguez, Sun Sentinel

• Braves: "The Atlanta Braves released renderings of their new suburban stadium Wednesday, a ballpark that will seat 41,500 and be surrounded by plenty of revenue-generating amenities." - "Braves release more details of new suburban park" - AP/The Washington Post

• Braves: "'Every time I get in this weather, I have a hard time,' Teheran said. 'I'm still trying to find a way to get through it.'" - "Atlanta Braves at San Francisco Giants - May 14, 2014" - Mark Bowman, MLB.com ATL Recap

• Phillies: "'You know what? He's driving the ball and having quality at-bats,' Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg said." - "Phillies Notes: Utley's in a line-drive groove" - Matt Gelb, Philadelphia Inquirer

• Mets: "Veteran right-hander Kyle Farnsworth went from Mets closer to a man hellbent on beating his now former team in a matter of minutes on Wednesday night." - "Kyle Farnsworth 'very bitter' after being outrighted to minors by Mets" - Mark Townsend, Big League Stew - Yahoo Sports

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