There are plenty of Washington Nationals who haven't been hitting, but Adam LaRoche might have the best excuse. Back in spring training, LaRoche was diagnosed with a partial tear of the labrum in his left shoulder. He was given a cortisone shot, and doctors assured him it wouldn't have affect his hitting, but through the first month and a half of the season, LaRoche has hit just .172 with three home runs. LaRoche most definitely feels like something is wrong, and Monday the Nationals have placed him on the disabled list.
LaRoche is not scheduled for surgery, and he and the team think it may take only a few weeks of rest for him to be good to go. But that's hardly a guarantee, so LaRoche's future is somewhat uncertain.
To take LaRoche's place on the roster, the Nationals are expected to activate Rick Ankiel from the disabled list on Tuesday. As for LaRoche's playing time at first base, Mike Morse is the most likely bet off the bench. Morse is sitting on a .650 OPS, but he mashed the ball a year ago and comes with halfway-decent offensive upside.