Baker on recoveries of Werth, Blanton and Solís

Left fielder Jayson Werth remains on the 10-day disabled list with a bruised left foot, and Nationals manager Dusty Baker said Thursday that he didn't expect the veteran's recovery to move at a rapid pace given the nature and placement of his injury.

"It's not going to be quick," Baker said before the Nats hosted the Orioles in a makeup of the rained-out May 11 game. "Anybody that's ever hurt their toe, it heals the slowest. The circulation there, it looks ugly. We're not planning on Jayson the next three days. He's just trying to get the swelling out of it."

Werth fouled a ball off his foot in the ninth inning of Saturday's game in Oakland and missed Sunday's series finale. X-rays showed no fracture, and the worst of the damage seemed to be to his big toe, which remains swollen enough to hamper Werth's ability to move.

Werth was on crutches the day after the incident, then progressed to a walking boot on Monday, the day he was placed on the DL, retroactive to Sunday.

For now, Baker wants Werth to stay off the foot as much as possible, though the manager hopes his injured player will mix doctor's orders with the need for staying as fit as he can under the circumstances.

"That's the toughest thing to do: Keep the leg up, elevated, try to stay off of it," Baker said. "But try to do some leg work and some arm work and try not to be out of shape while you're hurt. Because it's hard to stay in shape when you've hurt your feet. Because everything you do to stay in shape is on your feet, maybe except (swimming)."

Reliever Joe Blanton, on the 10-day disabled list since May 17 with right shoulder inflammation, has been dispatched to Double-A Harrisburg, where he will begin a minor league rehab assignment today, Baker said.

Another injured member of the Nationals bullpen, lefty Sammy Solís, threw a 40-pitch bullpen session two days ago in West Palm Beach, Fla., at the team's spring training facility. Solís has been on the DL since April 19 with left elbow inflammation.

"He felt pretty good," Baker said of Solís.