Saturday, April 21, 2012

Zimmerman on shoulder: "It's nothing"

US Presswire photo
Ryan Zimmerman won't return until at least Tuesday with shoulder inflammation.
Updated at 5:40 p.m.

Ryan Zimmerman missed today's game and will again sit out tomorrow series finale against the Marlins with mild inflammation in his right shoulder, but the Nationals third baseman insists the injury is not serious and won't become a lingering problem.

"It's nothing," Zimmerman said following today's 3-2, 10-inning win. "It's something I could've played through. It was bugging me a little bit, and it'd go away for a couple days. I've just been diving all over the place over there."

Zimmerman was originally in Davey Johnson's starting lineup but had trouble getting loose while taking batting practice earlier today. Johnson was informed about 30 minutes before first pitch.

"Ryan felt confident about it," the manager said. "I was going to give him off tomorrow anyway. He plays hard, and I don't want to wear him too much down."

With a rainout a strong possibility tomorrow and then a day off Monday before the start of a six-game, West Coast trip, Zimmerman could wind up missing only one game.

The 27-year-old third baseman has made a number of diving stops on balls hit both to his left and right already the season, and he believes that contributed to the problem. He has not received an MRI, nor believes he'll need one, and team doctors were able to determine he has "no structural damage in the least," according to a club spokesman.

Zimmerman has dealt with right shoulder problems before; he missed two months in 2008 with a small tear that did not require surgery. He insisted this issue is nothing like that one.

"It's just like a jammed finger, pretty much," he said. "Give it a couple days to rest, it'll go away, and we'll be good to go on Tuesday."

Zimmerman, who in February signed a nine-figure contract extension that guarantees he'll play for the Nationals through at least 2019, has gotten off to a bit of a slow start. Through 15 games he's hitting .224, though he's hit a number of balls hard and on Thursday night clubbed his first home run of the season.

Veteran utilityman Mark DeRosa started in Zimmerman's place today. Johnson indicated either Chad Tracy or Steve Lombardozzi could get the nod at third base tomorrow.

25 comments:

JaneB said...

No news isn't good news. Hope he's okay.

Scott from Burke said...

shoulder inflammation..hence the weak throws..need his bat in the lineup...not a good development..when Laroche takes a day off Zim should play first...keep his bat in the lineup and (hopefully) eliminate throws

Anonymous said...

Given that the bench is starting to look very much like last year's bench offensively ... I suspect you'll see Tyler Moore in the very near term instead.

Holden Baroque said...

Has Zimmerman ever played first base at any level? I don't think so. He'd probably be OK, I suppose, but it's not like you can just put anybody anywhere.

NattyNation said...

Good point section 3. Everyone seems to think you can stick a guy at 1st of LF at any time. I'd rather see him rest his arm and get on top of this before it becomes one of those lingering injuries. The "day-to-day" status sounds all too familiar for injuries on this team...

sm13 said...

Hopefully 3 days off and one San Diego sunshine will be all Ryan needs to heal. We've gotta catch a break on one of these injuries.

Anonymous said...

The "put Morse/Zimmerman at first" comments usually come from all the armchair managers around here who like to call for heads after one bad day as if they have no concept of what a baseball season is.

Nats in Athens said...

I don't know where you should put Zimm or if he can play 1B but I know where you should put the medical staff and if they are at ML level. It seems they are the last reminder that in the not so distant past this team was AAAA level...

Candide said...

A Nationals spokesman announced the injury as "mild right shoulder inflammation" and said there is "no structural damage in the least."

No structural damage? Really? How do they know this? You get inflammation for absolutely no reason at all? I'm not a doctor, but I don't like the sound of this; it sounds suspiciously like what they said when Storen and Morse went down.

Scott from Burke said...

no structural damage in the least...what a bizarre comment..the last 3 words sound like something a 4th grader would say when accused of lying when, of course, he's lying...there is or there isn't..in the least? c'mon

SonnyG10 said...

Come on, you folks with the glass half empty need to ask for a refill.

Holden Baroque said...

No structural damage. None at all. It's just a fleshwound.

Section 222 said...

Can I just say -- Jesus Flores. Adam LaRoche. Get the guy a MRI. And get the arthrogram kind with the dye. Just to be safe, just to know. It's not a terrible procedure and it would be so much better to confirm the diagnosis of "no structural damage" that our famously effective medical staff has made.

Just get the freakin' MRI already!

Anonymous said...

"No structural damage? Really? How do they know this? You get inflammation for absolutely no reason at all? I'm not a doctor, but I don't like the sound of this; it sounds suspiciously like what they said when Storen and Morse went down."

Yes Candide....you saved me the trouble thanks.

Meanwhile, the loss of Storen seems more and more significant but 12 and 4 is FANTASTIC!

The Curse of Daniel Snyder

Anonymous said...

I think he just had Sanchezitis.

btharner said...

Looking at the weather forecast, I do not think Ryan has to worry about missing a game tomorrow.

natsfan1a said...

Hope it is nothing serious.

terpman33 said...

Hopefully, this will just be a small setback, and not something that lingers.

Anonymous said...

We could save a month and just send him to Alabama now.

Marcus Welby said...

The worst thing I read was the Medical staff said "no structual damage." They said the same damn thing for Storen. Same for Zim and LaRoche last year. the medical staff to me is the weakest link on the team. I will believe no problem when I see Zim back playing and producing.

Meridian said...

The phrase "no structural damage" is meaningless. Assuming this was not an externally induced wound (abrasion, puncture, etc.) OF COURSE there is something going on structurally or it wouldn't hurt.

The only questions are WHAT and HOW SEVERE. Now you and I might not run to get an MRI every time we have a sore shoulder, but given the multimillion dollar investment in Zimmerman and his overall importance to the team (especially with Morse out), you would think they would do it right away. The cost is piddling in comparison, and presumably they are insured for it.

Either they are fools or liars. In a few days' time we shall find out.

realdealnats said...

Zim:
a scratch; marry..

Nat's Medical Staff: Courage, man; the hurt cannot be much.

Zim: No, 'tis not so deep as a well, nor so wide as a
church-door; but 'tis enough,'twill serve: ask for
me to-morrow, and you shall find me a grave man.

It's always a thin line between what we know and what we say. Please turn the page on these dramatic charades and don't just get the MRI but in such cases, tell the fan base you are getting the MRI. NPFB (Not PFB)

Scooter said...

Mercutio?

D'Gourds said...

As I've said before, his overhand throws when he has time have been weak and erratic. I hope this "mild inflammation" hasn't been the cause the whole season so far. That would definitely be more than "nothing". He's a gamer. He wants to play and will say what he needs to to do it. But it's the medical staff's job to make sure it's not "nothing". Let's hope it really is nothing.

natsfan1a said...

Scooter wins teh Shakespearean interwebz.

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