Ohlendorf on track for weekend rehab start

Photo by USA Today

Ross Ohlendorf threw a bullpen session at Nationals Park on Wednesday as he works his way back from right shoulder inflammation, and as long as the next two days of rest go as expected, should be ready for a minor league rehab start on Saturday.

Manager Davey Johnson said the Nats have not decided where Ohlendorf will rehab and will determine how long he pitches later this week.

"Maybe he just goes three innings and he has to come back and go five. Maybe he feels good enough and goes further and he can come back earlier. We want to get him stretched out so he can go five."

Johnson believes Ohlendorf is still on track to return Aug. 16 after being placed on the 15-day disabled list on the first of the month. But before he confirms that date, the Nats want to see how his shoulder reacts through the rest of the week.

"We’ll see how he does. We’ll see how he’s feeling and make that determination."

Ohlendorf left the Nationals' loss on July 31 after feeling pain in his shoulder and seeing a dramatic drop in his velocity. He is 2-0 on the season with a 1.85 ERA across ten appearances.