Washington Nationals Injury Update

The injuries keep piling up...let's take a look at what is going on at Nats Hospital...

At The Exits

Brad Lidge:  (Rehab) Hernia - Played Down in Potomac - Back End Of Week Maybe


Mark DeRosa:  (15 Day DL) Oblique - Recently took batting practice - Back Any Day


Ryan Mattheus:  (15 Day DL) Foot - Out of boot, Nats being careful- Back- Mid-Late June


In The Distance


Drew Storen:  (60 Day DL) Elbow - Moved to 60 day to get Mike Gonzalez on the roster - Back Late July


Jayson Werth:  (60 Day DL) Wrist - Surgery from broken wrist, now just waiting to heal.  Just transferred to 60-day.  Back Early August


Chris Marrero:  (60 Day DL) Shoulder - Having problems in rehab.  Back Late Season


Chad Tracy:  (15 Day DL) Groin - Reports had him out for the year, FP Santangelo said Tracy texted him and said 6 weeks - Out For 6 Weeks...or the year...

Finished

Wilson Ramos:  (Doneski) Torn ACL - Starting catcher out for the season.  Never Coming Back

Sandy Leon:  (60 Day DL) Ankle - One Game, One At Bat, One Strikeout, Done. I'm taking him off this cuz the only reason he was up is Jhonatan was hurt. Back To Minors Mid-July

Nats Injury Update

The injuries keep piling up...let's take a look at what is going on at Nats Hospital...

At The Exits

Michael Morse: (Rehab) Lat - Morse is starting his rehab assignment today in Potomac.  He hit 2 homers in his previous rehab game in "extended spring training".  Back Soon


Mark DeRosa:  (15 Day DL) Oblique - Recently took batting practice - Back This Week


Jesus Flores:  See Below

Mid-Term

Ryan Mattheus:  (15 Day DL) Foot - A few weeks in a boot - Back- Mid-Late June


Drew Storen:  (15 Day DL) Elbow - Back Mid-July


Brad Lidge:  (15 Day DL) Hernia - Recently threw some bullpen sessions - Back Mid-July


Chad Tracy:  (15 Day DL) Groin - Reports had him out for the year, FP Santangelo said Tracy texted him and said 6 weeks - Out For 6 Weeks...or the year...


In The Distance

Jayson Werth:  (60 Day DL) Wrist - Surgery from broken wrist, now just waiting to heal.  Just transferred to 60-day.  Back Early August


Chris Marrero:  (60 Day DL) Shoulder - Having problems in rehab.  Back Late Season

Catchers Ward

Wilson Ramos:  (Doneski) Torn ACL - Starting catcher out for the season.  Never Coming Back

Jesus Flores:  (Day to Day) Hammy - With Ramos out, Maldanado a poor hitter, a new catcher coming up, Flores needs to play through tight hamstrings.  While he does let's hope they don't get worse.  Could Play This Week

Sandy Leon:  (60 Day DL) Ankle - One Game, One At Bat, One Strikeout, Done.  Back Mid-July At Earliest


Carlos Maldanado isn't injured, but he is a poor hitter, so Nats brought up the next guy Jhonatan Solano just in case.

Ryan Mattheus Injured

According to CSN Washington, Ryan Mattheus left warmups before the Phillies game on Monday night due to re-aggravating a nagging foot injury.  It is not expected to be serious.  (Read more from CSN).

Another day, another injury.  The Nats bullpen is already missing their closer, Drew Storen, and their backup closer/late inning reliever Brad Lidge is out as well.  This one may not be as bad, and Mattheus could be back as soon as tomorrow.

Job Opening: MLB Closer

When Drew Storen went down with an injury before the season started, the closer job was going to be shared by the shaky veteran Brad Lidge and the unproven young heater thrower Henry Rodriguez.  Because neither one of these guys was the perfect option, it looked like Davy Johnson was going to go with a closer by committee until the return of Drew Storen.

Well with Brad Lidge leaving for the DL with a sports hernia until June at the earliest and Henry Rodriguez losing his ability to handle the pressure, Davy Johnson has to make a choice.

Rodriguez has walked 5 straight batters and one night after giving up a game winning walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the 9th inning he couldn't get more than one out before loading the bases and putting the game winning run up to bat.

Davy Johnson most certainly will demote H-rod and replace him with either the setup man Clippard, or a guy like Craig Stammen to finish games.

Clippard has been very consistent over the last several years, but his strength has been in the 8th inning.  This season he is 1-2 with a 3.38 ERA.  Stammen has been much stronger, striking out over 1 guy per inning with a 3-0 record and a 1.29 ERA.  Burnett and Mattheus could also be options.

Just looking at the numbers, I would lean towards Stammen taking over.  Stammen has more "closer type stuff".  That would allow Clippard to remain where he is comfortable in the 8th slot.  Then H-Rod could fill the 7th inning role that Stammen has been so good at and gain back some confidence.

Davy J may also try more of a committee approach with Tyler & Craig, and throw H-Rod in the 8th here and there, but one thing is certain.  Henry Rodriguez is not the answer to close games.

UPDATE:  Really Davy, Still gonna go with him?

Those Injury Blues

If you were watching Saturday's game (May 12th) than you probably saw National's catcher Wilson Ramos crumple to the ground while chasing a ball that got away from him behind the plate.  If you were watching the Capitals game 7 playoff game maybe you haven't heard about it.  Here is a brief look at the injuries the Nat's are dealing with and when they will be back (hopefully!):

 Late May:

• Chien-Ming Wang: strained hamstring. Our starters have been good, but with Wang we could toy with having a 6-man rotation to preserve Starsburg this season (innings limit).

 June:

• Mark Derosa: oblique strain.  Was suppose to give Zimmerman some days off at 3B.
• Brad Lidge: abdominal strain.  Do we want him back closing? Some nights H-rod makes us.
• Mike Morse: lat strain.  Probably a quick fix for our slumping offense.  We hope.
• Drew Storen: bone chips in elbow.  The debate over Lidge and H-rod closing gets solved when he comes back.

July:

• Cole Kimball: shoulder surgery. Had a 1.93 through 12 games last season out of the bullpen.
• Chris Marrero: torn hamstring/messed up shoulder. Decent young player. Gives us options at 1B.

August:

• Jayson Werth: broken wrist. Fixing the struggles at the plate aren't going to come easy without this guy in the lineup.  Plus we need his beard.

Out for the Season:

• Wilson Ramos: torn ACL.  Not good.  Ramos is a good hitting catcher and a steady presence behind home for our pitchers.   The Nat's still have Flores and the minor leagues to fill the spot, but personally I would feel a lot better if the team signed a veteran option to be the backup.  Bring back Pudge! 

If you missed how Ramos went down because of the Caps game here is a link to the MASN video of the injury: OUCH

Season Preview: The Nationals Bullpen

This season the Nationals have three guys who have some decent closing experience.  The young starting pitching staff should be able to go deep most nights, and these guys will be available to finish games:

Drew Storen (Closer):  Storen has been the closer in training for the last few years.  In 2011 he ended the season with 43 saves as the Nationals official closer.  He got about 1 K per inning last season, but he starts the season on the 15 day DL with an elbow issue.

Brad Lidge:  Lidge will start the season out as the closer as Storen heals and will move to a 7th inning type guy (I think).  Lidge was known for choking away big games and has been demoted from his closer role on multiple occasions by multiple teams.  We can only wait and see if we signed the dominant Lidge or the not so great Lidge.

Tyler Clippard:  Clippard made the All-Star team last season as an 8th inning set-up man.  This is a fairly new and unique "position" and Clippard has been lights out leading the league last season with 38.  In fact the Nats like him in this position so much they are having him stay in the position despite the injury to Storen.

Henry Rodriguez:  This guy fires the ball to the plate like nobody else at freak speeds often hitting 100 on the radar gun.  H-Rod averaged over 1 strikeout per inning last year and is a young fireball throwing pitcher, which could be good in the middle innings, or possibly if he has to close out a game.

The pitching staff includes only two lefties, which isn't exactly great.  Tom Gorzelanny, a demoted starter, and Sean Burnett who is in the league mainly because he is a lefty.  The other two righties that will start the season in the pen are Craig Stammen, a minor league type that the Nats tried to use as a starter in the past, and Ryan Mattheus, who pitched well in his first season in the majors last year.