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For the first time since San Diego Padres' right-hander Odrisamer Despaigne hit him with a 92 mph fastball in a May 15th game in Petco Park, fracturing bones in his left wrist, Jayson Werth returned to competitive action on Thursday night, playing three innings for the Potomac Nationals.
Washington's 36-year-old outfielder went 1 for 2 with a single and a K in his first rehab game, "belting" a 2-2 pitch in his first at bat according to the P-Nats' report on the game and striking out swinging on a 3-2 change from Myrtle Beach Pelicans' right-hander Jonathan Martinez in his final at bat of the game.
@PNats42 clipped by @Pelicanbaseball 1-0 as @Nationals OF Jayson Werth singles on rehab. @ADUByaBOI deals a QS.RECAP: http://t.co/s5r8SE1wm2
— Potomac Nationals (@PNats42) July 17, 2015
At the end of their report, the Nationals' High-A affiliate noted that, "Werth's rehabilitation schedule moving forward is to be determined."
Werth began his rehab assignment before the Nats started the so-called "second-half" of the 2015 campaign, so there was no information from the Nationals on what the plan is for Werth and there probably won't be any details until Matt Williams talks to reporters before the series opener with the Los Angeles Dodgers tonight in the nation's capital.
@Nationals OF Jayson Werth rips single to LC field out of the two hole in the 1st on a 2-2 pitch from @Pelicanbaseball RHP Jonathan Martinez
— Potomac Nationals (@PNats42) July 16, 2015
When Williams spoke to reporters last week, Werth was in Florida at the Nationals' training facilities.
"'He did extensive outfield work today which is good sign," Williams said while updating reporters on Werth, Anthony Rendon and Ryan Zimmerman, as quoted by MASNSports.com's Byron Kerr, "and [he's] continuing to swing a light bat to get going so they're coming and we hope that it's quickly and there's no more setbacks.'"
The Nats, as Mike Rizzo told reporters last weekend, are hoping to get Werth (wrist), Zimmerman (plantar fasciitis), Rendon (left quad) and Denard Span (back spasm) back in the lineup over the next few weeks, though there are no set or projected return dates for any of the four or DL'd right-hander Stephen Strasburg, who is out dealing with an oblique strain.
Jayson Werth gets it. @PNats42 @Nationals #ForTheFans pic.twitter.com/wWHJb5nw1B
— Todd Headington (@AskShazam) July 17, 2015
They'll start the second half without any of their injured players tomorrow night, however, barring any surprise returns tomorrow.
Before he was injured, Werth, who underwent surgery to repair the AC joint in his right shoulder this winter, put up a .208/.294/.287 line with two doubles and two home runs in 119 plate appearances.