Some news from the Nats clubhouse before tonight’s game against the Marlins. Outfielder Josh Willingham is out of the lineup. He’s been battling a sore knee, according to manager Jim Riggleman. It’s an issue that has flared on and off for Willingham all season and has come back here in the second half. It’s probably no coincidence that Willingham has struggled recently. In 22 games he has just 15 hits and a .524 OPS. Riggleman isn’t too worried, yet.
“He’s really kind of on pace for the years he’s had in the past. We count on Josh for a lot of stability to the middle of our lineup,” Riggleman said. “I think he’s done a fine job. He’s a real pro. They’re just making some pitches on him.”
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But that knee is enough of a concern – “it’s barking a little bit,” Riggleman said – that the Nats will be cautious.
We also spoke with Nats trainer Lee Kuntz for some other injury updates, Left-handed pitcher Ross Detwiler received news on his injured hip. A recent MRI showed no further damage – other than what the initial surgery caused back in January. The team is treating this injury as a strain and re-evaluating it every day, Kuntz said. Detwiler is on the 15-day disabled list.
Outfielder Nyjer Morgan wasn’t happy when sent to the disabled list last week with a hip injury of his own. But Kuntz says Morgan is doing much better. He increases his activity each day – though the timing of the Nats’ next road trip with games in Atlanta and Philadelphia may force Morgan to spend a game or two in the minor leagues on a rehab assignment before he returns to the team.
Right-handed starter Stephen Strasburg mentioned after Tuesday’s rough game that he had worked with the training staff to fine tune his exercise program between starts. Strasburg, of course, went on the 15-day disabled list with right shoulder inflammation retroactive to July 22. The training and strength-and-conditioning staffs tweaked Strasburg’s technique on his weight-lifting programs, tailoring a specific approach to strengthen the muscles in the back of the shoulder. So far, so good.
Right-handed pitcher Chien-Ming Wang is still throwing in Viera, Fla. as he recovers from shoulder surgery last summer. But by the day it appears increasingly unlikely Wang will pitch for the Nats this season. He is still long-tossing and throwing from flat ground and “has scuffled a little bit” lately, according to Kuntz. A MASN report earlier this week said Wang is slated to throw 30 pitches off a mound this Friday in a bullpen session – fastballs only. The Nats retain Wang’s right for 2011 if they want to offer him arbitration. It will cost them at least $1.6 million to do so. But at some point they need some sign he will be able to recover. Kuntz still insists that is possible this season.
“We remain hopeful. Again we’re in kind of uncharted waters,” Kuntz said. He later added he was “not willing to put a date” on when Wang no longer has time to make the necessary rehab starts. “I don’t think that’s fair to him.”
Catcher Jesus Flores is also still hitting and throwing from 120 feet in Viera. But he, too, is running out of time in 2010. Meanwhile, reliever Tyler Walker may have seen his final days with the club. He had right shoulder surgery last week on a torn labrum and rotator cuff damage was found as well. Kuntz was confident Walker will pitch again next season. But I doubt it will be in Washington. Right-handed starter Luis Atilano had surgery on Aug. 5 to remove bone spurs from his elbow. That procedure was similar to one undergone by reliever Craig Stammen last fall and starter Jason Marquis earlier this season. Atilano is done for the season, but could begin a rehab program in six weeks.
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