Nats' Jayson Werth DL'd, But Ryan Zimmerman Returns

The Nationals have lost Jayson Werth to the DL, perhaps for up to 12 weeks; just in the nick of time, Ryan Zimmerman will return to action Tuesday.

Ryan Zimmerman Going On DL; Bryce Harper Called Up

The Washington Nationals are off to a fantastic start, even without too many contributions from their best position player, Ryan Zimmerman. The third baseman's shoulder has been bothering him, and the initial prescription was for rest. But when things didn't improve, the Nationals decided to make things a little exciting, calling up phenom Bryce Harper:

On Sat., the Nationals will place 3B Ryan Zimmerman on the 15-Day DL & recall OF Bryce Harper, who will make his MLB debut at Dodger Stadium

— Nationals PR (@NationalsPR) April 27, 2012

Harper will make his debut tomorrow, according to Adam Kilgore, which suggests he'll be in the starting lineup.

Harper, 19, has had a middling-to-decent start to the year in triple-A -- impressive, of course, when you consider he's still a teenager, but nothing suggesting that he was a no-brainer call-up who had the best chance to help the Nationals right away.

Zimmerman shouldn't be out beyond the required 15 days, as an MRI on his shoulder came up negative earlier this week.

Ryan Zimmerman Shoulder Not Improving; Disabled List Might Be Next Stop

Washington Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman took some batting practice on Thursday. The result was not good. Adam Kilgore:

Third baseman Ryan Zimmerman felt little improvement in the inflamed AC joint in his right shoulder after taking brief batting practice this afternoon, increasing his chances of landing on the disabled list.

Zimmerman will visit Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles for further examination and treatment. Then the Nationals will decide whether to place him on the disabled list. Zimmerman will likely receive a cortisone shot, or something similar.

Zimmerman has played in 15 of the Nats’ 18 games so far this season and is struggling, hitting just .224/.324/.345 with one home run in 68 plate appearances.

The Nats are 14-5, with the best record in the National League, and they lead the NL East by two games over the Braves. With that kind of record without their best player, they likely won’t rush him back.

For more on the Nats, please visit Federal Baseball and SB Nation DC.

Ryan Zimmerman DL Decision Put Off

Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman hasn't played since Friday on account of some right shoulder inflammation. In his stead, the Nationals have started Mark DeRosa and Steve Lombardozzi at third base. Mark DeRosa and Steve Lombardozzi are fine baseball players to have around the block if you're putting together a neighborhood baseball team, but the Nationals are trying to win a major-league division, and Ryan Zimmerman's a big part of their plans. So what's the status of Ryan Zimmerman?

No decision on possible DL until after Zimmerman tries to hit tomorrow but MRI gave him peace of mind &he knows he can't hurt it more. #nats

— Amanda Comak (@acomak) April 25, 2012

Ryan Zimmerman had an MRI on his shoulder and the results didn't show any structural damage. That's a great relief to Zimmerman, who's just putting up with some discomfort. But if the discomfort's still there Thursday, the Nationals could opt to rest him to get him back to 100 percent. Zimmerman has said he feels no pain when throwing but some pain when batting, and while throwing's important, batting's more important. In the long-term, this isn't a big deal, but in the short-term, the Nationals might have to live without Ryan Zimmerman for some time yet.

Ryan Zimmerman Injury: Nationals 3B's MRI Results 'Not Favorable'

The Nats might lose their star third baseman to the DL. So what? They've got the best record in the National League, even without him.