Zimmerman sat out yesterday's game in New York after aggravating the injury sliding into second base the previous night. He hoped rest and treatment would alleviate the strain enough to allow him to return to the lineup tomorrow against the Phillies, but team officials didn't want to take the chance.
The move will be retroactive to Sunday, meaning Zimmerman will be eligible to return April 25.
This is the same injury that sidelined Zimmerman for three games early in spring training -- he also missed time late in camp with a separate groin strain -- and the third baseman had been experiencing some discomfort since Opening Day.
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85 comments:
This is disappointing to actually read it. I guess the truth is he can't play thru it. He said many times during the the Spring that if it was the regular season he wouldn't miss time. To lose Zim for 2 weeks is going to hurt.
To go back to what SteveM said during March, this is a conditioning issue with Zimmerman.
www.nooooooooooooooo.com
Oh boy.....this is a dagger with the Phillies comin to town. Guess its gonna be Hairston at third. Better there than in leftfield I guess. Still, we aren't the same without Zim. Gonna have to suck it up.
No more head first slides for Zim!
Bixler gets my vote for a call-up.
This really stinks; it gonna be a diet of Hairston and Cora for at least 2 weeks; runs will be tough to come back I fear especially if LaRoche has to sit as well.
This is as good a time as any for Morse and Werth to break out.
I think Brian Bixler showed enough in Spring Training to warrant a call up. If not, then maybe another reliever like Balester or Rodriguez.
I'm not panicking. This is what developing a minor league is all about.
A solution to Broderick's inexperience should be resolved, with BallyStar on his way up.
Nats will also need to deal with HRod towards the end of the month.
Injuries a part of the game. Slumps a part of the game.
Just compete baby. Hold down the fort until SS and Harper are on the 25 man roster, and a big FA signing during the off season.
I would kill for an Alberto Gonzalez right about now ;-)
Got Blanton, Halladay and Lee going against us. I think we can pound Blanton. Halladay....er....cough cough....I don't know. Cliff Lee got his lunch handed to him last game. So lets hope he ain't sharp. Zimmerman goes against him. This is what its all about baby. Lets get it on!
I'm with Doc and NatsJack: Get Bixler up here.
Zimms injury is going to hurt us more than it hurts him. Not that I want pain for any of us. I hope Werth can lead our guys to at least 2 Phillies defeats this week. I
@ Cherry Wheat: Correctomundo! AGon would fit the bill; too bad Rizzo carries grudges!
Lets not make Gonzalez out to be Mike Schmidt. He hit 247 last year for us with no homers and 5 ribbies in 186 ab's. Good riddance to his bad attitude. Oh yeah....he ain't starting with the Padres either
Bixler is an error machine. They need a pitcher because they can not put the rule 5 guy in and the Phils could wear out the Pen this week.....Riggs is not going to play a AAA guy anyway so get Ballistar up here now.
Agree.....bring up a pitcher. I go with Cole Kimball. 3 appearances, 2 saves 0 runs at Syracuse. Mid 90's....hard slider. Had good spring. Now is the time
If it's a pitcher, it HAS to be Henry Rodriguez, provided he's able to come off his rehab assignment. Otherwise, we have to DFA him.
Sign David Eckstein. Sad to say, Zimmerman is showing signs of becoming the reincarnation of Fragile Freddie Lynn.
We have wayyyy to little flexibility with our bench to bring up a pitcher. Zero chance of that.
Suppose Cora or Hairston goes to 3B.
Our bench would have
Stairs - L
Nix - L
Cora / Hairston - R
Catcher - R
One reserve OF, one reserve IF, one reserve catcher, and one DH.
This also makes it more likely Cora starts, to keep Hairston available for the double switch no matter who is to come out.
I agree with Cherry Wheat.Alberto Gonzalez is an outstanding utility infielder who filled in admirably for Zimmerman in the past. I never saw any proof he had a bad attitude. He hit well in spring training.
Spilt milk...
Someone will have to step up.
Cora is a left-handed hitter. If Hairston starts at third we will have no right-handed bats on the bench (except catcher). They have to call up a right-handed hitter IMO.
Good catch Jaxpo, my bad. Agree, it's a RH bat on the way up.
One thing I know for sure. It WON'T BE Boomer Whiting.
Call up Bernadina, play him ever day in the OF and put Morse at 3B!
JD, I thought you said a month ago there were no concerns with Zimmerman's training. 9 games into the season and BAM.
You could see this coming. After ending 2010 with an Ab injury and the hamstring at the beginning of 2010 I expected Zimmerman to come into Spring Training in shape. Ab injury then the groin injury and now another Ab injury.
Something has to change in his regiment.
Good time to get Zim's name on that contract extention...
Not to pile on as this has been discussed for a few days now but I agree that something has to change with Ryan's approach to strength, conditioning and core training.
When I predicted this outcome a month ago, I was hoping I was wrong. Again, took a lot of flack for speaking from experience and it comes with a belief that you just can't replace a Ryan Zimmerman which is why his health is so important to this team.
Zimmerman is the MVP of this team. His playing at peak performance is paramount to overall team performance. If you lose him for any considerable time, it is going to affect the balance of this team as you can't just replace his output. So whether it is Cora or Hairston or Bixler, this is a huge negative. I am with Cherry Wheat as I would have preferred Alberto Gonzalez which is far from good and not a possibility any more.
So when is the team going to address Ryan's approach to strength, conditioning and core so this won't be happening so often? These are preventable injuries.
There's no way they call up Bixler. I feel like they'll call up Bernadina to spell Morse in LF and try and get him going. It also adds a L bat to the bench. Riggles will undoubtedly platoon Cora and Hairston at 3B.
On the upside, we're 1-0 with Zimmerman out of the lineup!
Mark'd;
You are right. I was just objecting to over reaction to anything that happens in ST but in fairness I don't think Zim has been the wounded duck you guys portray; he hasn't missed an inordinate amount of games.
BTW; any one who thinks this won't hurt; all I can say is "from your mouth to God's ears" because the drop off from Zim to Cora is monumental as in from one of the best to one of the worst and no I am not longing for AG.
Steve M.
What can I say; you were right and I was wrong.
Bernadina should have been part of the team when the 25 man was announced. Stairs has been a walk machine since he got here and doesn't have a hit and Hairston still doesn't have a hit. The problem is once Stairs gets on base which he has done 4 times, he hasn't crossed the finish line so unless he can get some HRs, he is taking up valuable roster space for a guy who is too one dimensional.
I would bring up Flores and Bernadina and HenRod and DFA Broderick and Stairs. Pudge can fill in at 1st base and take more reps there and Flores is a much needed power RH bat. Bernadina can play LF and Morse can play 3rd.
When Zim comes back they can send Flores back down as he has options.
Needs to be a RH bat. Otherwise, only one RH on the bench. Agree Bixler probably not good enuf with the glove to play every day, so my off-the-wall guess is C. Brown.
Probably the first time in history a guy who walks 67 percent of the time gets labelled a failure.
I heard an interview over the weekend, not sure where, when or with who. The short story is, "somone" everyone knows changes their off season workout to more baseball and less weight training and the injuries dropped significantly.
Wondering if Zim is working with weights more than swinging a bat in the offseason.
-df
JD, we have some smart people here of which I am not one of them since I suggested Michael Morse at 3rd base but SteveM seems to be a step ahead and unfortunately was right. I would think he was the lucky squirrel but he has been right many times before and like SJM said he is good to read.
To Theo, Stairs is basically an intentional walk with bases empty. He does know damage. So while his OBP is amazing, his job here is to change the game with HRs. You can disagree with me but that is how I see it on a team that needs players on the bench that can play defense and offense and be ATHLETIC which is what Rizzo promised.
There's always Garrett Atkins for a looksy.
No Zim for two weeks is not the end of the world. I would like to see Alex Cora play 3B everyday for that period of time and Hairston could bwack up if he gets hurt. I think they should bring up Marerro as insurance against any more pain by LaRoche so Morse can play the OF and Nix can be the backup OF instead of Hairston.
Don, I think that is what needs to happen as something needs to change in his off-season work. More speed and agility and probably more reps with lighter weights. Maintain the muscle mass while increasing flexibility.
You may be suprised to know that John Philbin who is the Nats strength and conditioning coach has a strength system of heavier weights and less reps and quicker workouts. This went against conventional wisdom amongst trainers and it may work with some players but not Zimmerman.
To me, go back to what Zim changed in his approach and when these core muscle injuries started and agree to disagree that it probably works for some and not for others.
It is time for Zim to change his workout and possibly look at a change losing Philbin as it is cause and effect and he needs to be judged by results just like all other coaches.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_intensity_training
Philbin uses the HIT system and has lectured on it. It worked very effectively in the strength community when power was the motivation and it also worked great for athletes who were on steroids as the muscles could recover quicker.
They spotted Morse @ 3B in ST, I thought as an emergency fill-in. I don't know if they think he has enuf experience to play every day. (Three starts in majors, 24 in minors, including 23 in Low A.) Makes more sense to leave him in left rather than potentially create a major liability in the infield. Bring in Brown as the backup outfielder, RH pinch-hitter, and let Hairston play third.
For the short term, defense is more important than offense. If Zimmerman was doing an Utley, then breaking in Morse as a third baseman would make more sense.
Pay to Play,
I disagree with you 100% about Stairs; if they walk him often this will bring in some runs here and there; I,m not positive but I think that once or twice this year when he was walked and pinch run for the run actually scored.
Pinch hitters fail most of the time but 4 or 5 times this year he will tie or win a game with a big blow.
If Desmond understood that walks are a good thing we may just have a decent leadoff guy.
Jeez, you so called training experts....
It is an "abdominal strain" not a bicep strain, back strain, pectoral muscle strain. Weights likely had nothing to do with this, so lighten up on the weightlifting arguments. Until you really know the source of the original strain then it is completely a moot point to argue 'heavy lifting versus repetition'. For all we know it could have more to do with enduring two hour bus rides before a spring training game.
Tip of the hat to Dale -- I once tore a rotator cuff sleeping on my left shoulder. Who knows where this came from.
I vote for Marrero to get a short call up. Right handed, gives us a fill in for LaRoche if need be and has more pop in his bat than Bixler. Bixler is an error prone fielder as well. bernadina hasn't played at all yet since being cut from the team in ST and he compounds the overload of lefties. Same thing with Corey Brown, I am pretty sure he is left handed.
I stand corrected. Corey Brown bats left. So he isn't the answer. Guess that makes Bixler the default. Marrero only plays one position, so no point in bringing him up now.
People, we are talking about Rizzo and Riggleman. It's all about the makeup of the bench. Of course it will be Bixler, no matter how unattractive. Righty and an infielder. Period. There is no one else that fits that bill.
Ron Belliard is available, currently playing in the IL, and won't cost a dime.
JD wrote: "I don't think Zim has been the wounded duck you guys portray"
No kidding! If you exclude 2008 -- the number of games he's played in the other years since his first full season (2006) are: 157, 162, 157, 142
I once strained my back putting on my cowboy boots. Oh, wait. That was Wade Boggs.
Hope that the Z-man is on the mend soon and has a good, healthy season after that. Will be interested to see what other move is made.
Ronnie Belliard is not available. The Phillies signed him to a minor league contract and have him on their 40-man roster as added infield depth. Cora will be fine at 3rd and I agree they will bring up Bixler who has better career fielding stats than Desmond but not Espinosa. Morse needs to stay in LF to see if he can get comfortable. We can get through this.
carolync
Bixler isn't currently on the 40 man roster, which makes him unlikely.
Agree with Harper_ROY about bringing up Marrero.
And strongly agree with Pay2Play that Stairs and his walks are worthless. Part of the reason he walks may be that pitchers don't want to groove him anything. But most of the reason is simply they often don't care about putting someone as slow as him on base.
A lot of really good educated guesses on Zim's physical status, and the reasons on how he got there. That's what makes this site so much fun; a lot of posts by fans who really care.
Let's face it, sports is about physical skills. Protecting those skills should be the most important issue in professional sports corporate offices.
The problem is that few GMs in any of the professional sports' venues actually appreciate the scope and sequence of physical status and physical injury. And from a proactive point of view, seem to care less. We hear about their reactions to injuries, which are not much different than our fan reactions.
You get a feeling whether it's Zim's abdominal muscle strain, SS's TJS, or Sidney Crosby's concussion that that it's all part of the collateral damage an athlete randomly endures.
You'd think that with a $100 million payroll they'd want to figure out how to preserve and protect their assets.
We hear of going on the DL
A DC Wonk said...
No kidding! If you exclude 2008 -- the number of games he's played in the other years since his first full season (2006) are: 157, 162, 157, 142
Let's look at this year and the last 3 which shows in what will include this year only 1 season he played in over 150 as he won't be able to achieve that now in 2011.
2008 was 106 games
2009 was 157 games
2010 was 142 games
2011 at best will be 149 games.
Those aren't Iron Man numbers in total.
People, stop making excuses for Zim. He didn't come into Spring Training in the proper condition. End of story, no excuses.
The man is making $9,000,000 (plus all of his money for those endorsements/ads etc.) this year and is making enough money to hire a chef, nutritionist, massage therapist and conditioning coach and have $8,000,000 left for himself if he paid each $250,000. Pudge Rodriguez pays for his own chef, nutritionist and conditioning coach and he is making $2,000,000 this year. Pudge holds the record for most games as a Catcher in baseball history.
Doc, good points you make but the Nats spend a ton of money on conditioning and massage that probably rivals what NFL teams pay. Yes, injuries will always be an issue but it is the preventable ones you have to avoid.
The Nationals employ a strength and conditioning staff (that's right, a whole staff) plus a team massage therapist who became well known as Cal Ripken's massage therapist (Tatiana Tchamouroff) and the Nats hired her and she fixed Dmitri Young's back problem with massaging instead of surgery.
http://www.aolnews.com/2008/05/02/dmitri-young-has-a-happy-ending/
"Anonymous" is an encrypted anagram for "Ignoramus."
We get your point, Igor. Zimmerman is an overpaid slacker. The Nats should (A) terminate his contract, for cause, or (B) trade him to the Lotte Orions for a sushi platter that glows in the dark. And replace him at third w/ Jack LaLanne. (Oops! Forgot, the last man in the world in perfect physical condition is now DEAD!)
Give us all a break. A long one.
I usually don't like the personal attacks, but Theo you did make me laugh out loud at the end of a long day.
Theo, you are a clever guy. He is the franchise player and the best player on the team. The player himself is ultimately responsible to come in shape and stay in shape.
1) All MLB players are overpaid
2) Many players are slackers
3) Jack LaLanne is dead
There goes our only offense. Mark my words---Laroche will be the next to go on the DL. Rizzo paid big bucks to bring in damaged goods last year (Marquis) and it looks like he could have thrown away $10 million on Laroche this year. That will leave this team with absolutely no offense.
The point, Igor, is you (A) have no first hand knowledge of anything concerning the origin of this injury; (B) you cite nothing in support of your hypothesis, even third-hand hearsay. (By comparison, there is, supposedly, a woman in Kenya who says she was there when Obama was born.)
A first-year law student could fill a blue book on the question whether your statements of alleged "facts" are libelous. I'm not saying they are, just that it would take a blue book to explain why not.
I'm just sick of your phantasmagoric ravings.
In the immediate term, this news we will be swept by the Phillies. Prepare to be taunted and vomited upon at Nats Park.
Theo, I posted all facts in my post at 8:41 so what facts are you disputing?
1) Number of games played
2) Those aren't Iron Man numbers
3) Salary? OK, I rounded up to $9 million
4) Pudge's salary
5) Pudge's paid employees?
All facts so what the heck are you talking about?
Phil, that is what I liked about Adam Dunn. Besides his appendix operation the guy always gives you a full season.
Also the reason people care about Zim is because they care about Zim.
Anon8, all facts check out. Maybe Theophilus was talking about another Anon.
Theophilus is upset because he has Zimm in his Fantasy Team. What a complete jerk and he chooses a holier than now name just to prove how much better he is then the rest. Always criticising from the cheap seats. Loser.
Theophilus said...
Needs to be a RH bat. Otherwise, only one RH on the bench. Agree Bixler probably not good enuf with the glove to play every day, so my off-the-wall guess is C. Brown. April 11, 2011 5:20 PM
____________________________
The know-it-all names C. Brown as in Corey Brown who is a left-handed batter and if Theophilus had done any research that takes a minute, he would have known that.
He adds nothing but criticism and as soon as he gives a fact he blows it up. Like I said, loser.
Holy Jesus Mary and Joseph! Our third baseman pulls a muscle and has to sit for two weeks and suddenly everyone thinks he's sandbagging or injury-prone or a team liability? One of the most talented players in the game and the reason many of us have enjoyed so many losing nights at the park and the "fans" here are ready to throw him under the bus already?
It's a sport. Athletes push hard. They get hurt. It happens to all teams in all sports. Usually someone else steps up and people get excited.
Nook Logan's not coming back to coach baserunning. Anderson Hernandez isn't running suicide squeeze drills. Nyjer's not signing on as an etiquette advisor. Those would be disasters. We've had cruddy things happen here. This is 12 games on the DL on a team that no one here expected to be making a run for the postseason this year. The Nats will abide. Something good might even happen. Let's just watch some games instead of turning on the player who has given us more reasons to watch this team than any other.
Maybe they bring up Seth Bynum? Bernadina is inactive on some private personal leave. He hasn't played. But Seth Bynum is really tearing things up in the IL. Not sure Rizzo would waste a 40-man slot on Bynum but it would be nice to give an original Expo->National (like Bernadina) his cup of coffee when its convenient. Besides he's old enough now to be one of Riggleman's "sage veterans". That apparently is what this team is all about washed up veterans who belong in AAA, in other words: AAAA? Why not show some loyalty to an organizational man who has been doing good?
By the way what's been happening in Syracuse is interesting ... (and because of his inactive status due to personal business I am now wondering how much longer "The Shark" will be in this organization?)
Craig Stammen has apparently become one of the fiver starters and JD Martin has been pitching middle relief instead ... the plot thickens ...
Marrero is currently in a slump ... and Corey Brown is also a notorious slow starter ...
Bynum is a right handed hitter with power who can play second base, third base and the outfield. He's a far better fielder than Matt Stairs ... so let's not bring that up people!
I will go on a totally different track. I agree with Ernie that injuries happen to every team across the board and we have to deal with it. Its two weeks and hopefully he get well and has his typical year. I would take this time to bring up HRod. We are going to have to move a pitcher sooner or later and this would give us another power arm in the bullpen. It would give us two more weeks to see how Broderick develops and when Zimm is ready, Rizzo can try and make a deal or keep him and drop Gaudin or Coffey. I am rooting for a trade with the Cards, moving Broderick down and giving us a terrific bullpen mix of veterans and young guys. Hairston will start to hit sooner than later and Cora can make the major league plays, just not the great ones.
Go Nats
Boy, if the Nats need some offense, we could loan them some from this thread!
As we all gnash our teeth about Ryan, here's a glimmer about a potential future leadoff hitter.
In three games at Potomac Sgt. Eury (Perez) has five steals, despite a .133 average.
Let's hope he solves the Omar Moreno problem. (He can't steal first.)
Actually Zim was my first pick for Scoresheet (fantasy baseball league). As I'm a Nats fan, this is definitely a lose lose.
"People, stop making excuses for Zim. He didn't come into Spring Training in the proper condition. End of story, no excuses."
Did Zim ever appear fatigued?
Did Zim ever dog a play due to exhaustion?
Did Zim lose the power in his swing?
Did Zim ever loaf around the bases?
How in the world can someone make the above statement that he did not come into Spring training "in the proper condition"? Truly, an amazingly astute insight. The workout video of C. Brown was posted this spring--one hellacious workout--yet he sustained an injury this Spring as well.
Zimm's abdominal strain was an injury first reported in Spring training. The source of it remains unknown at this time. The only assumption one can reasonably draw is that Zim has been playing with it not fully healed. Shall we jump to the same conclusion that whenever a player tries to play through an injury that he failed to train properly? Such absolute declarations of fact are at first glance, and indeed after any reflection at all---ludicrous.
I want to thank some of you. I just read the entire thread. I now have a medical degree.
FACE PALM
Plus one.
dale, I think Zimm finished 2010 with an ab injured that ended his season early. A few days into Spring Training games he revealed an ab injury. He then sustained a groin injury and now is injured with an ab injury and on the DL.
When Zimm ended 2010 with the ab injury you would hope that would be the last we would hear of ab injuries. Just a bad coincidence?
For what it's worth, Adam Kilgore writes in today's Post that Zimmerman's ab injury from 2010 is different than this one. He also said the Nats expect him to be out at least three weeks or maybe longer.
GU, I remember in Spring Training that Zimm said it was a different ab injury but it isn't much different from a guy hurting his right hamstring in 2010 and his left hamstring in 2011. Its another ab injury. What is causing it?
If Kilgore says 3 weeks or longer, this is just bad news getting worse.
Gonats,
If it is the same muscle strained in 2010 then that would rule out coincidence. I have no idea what is the best treatment for a strained abdominal but I suspect that rest is essential. We all hope that this is not a cascading chain of events that forecasts a season long condition. Zimmerman has layered veils between the fans and his private life so we are not truly privy to the details of his training regimen and off season rehabilitation. As others have pointed out, players manage their ailments to get the most they can out of their bodies. Sometimes it does not work out for the best.
We aren't getting any answers here just turning into a lot of upset people. Dale is correct, we aren't privy to any of the details. It will be baseball without Zim for a long time.
But you don't see Coffey or Stairs or Livan getting abdominal strains. Just sayin.
Ernie 10:30 PM last night.... great post. That's keeping everything in perspective.
The Marlins are keeping their fingers crossed that their prize 21 yo (Mike Stanton) can keep his muscles and ligaments together for an extended period of time. It hasn't happened so far but they are hoping.
Injuries happen and while Zimms are frustrating, the only thing I can see as an answer would be some extensive yoga coupled with some core exercises but only after complete healing.
Yoga could work!
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