Solis makes progress with left shoulder rehab

Left-hander Sammy Solis has been on the disabled list since with left shoulder inflammation since Aug.16. Before today's game, he was in the Nationals clubhouse preparing for another workout.

Solis confirmed that he initially felt soreness in his shoulder after earning the win in a 5-4 victory over the Rockies on Aug. 15. Solis (2-3) notched the victory by pitching one inning, scattering two hits and allowing no runs. He gave up back-to-back singles to DJ LeMahieu and Carlos Gonzalez, but then ended the frame with a 5-3 double play.

Even with the win in Denver, Solis said he felt his shoulder locking up a bit and knew he had to do something about it.

"Yeah, I was definitely feeling it then," Solis said. "Velocity-wise, I was a little down. I've been a little bit down lately, namely because of the shoulder. Everyone goes through tightness and soreness and we're in August - it's that part of the season - but it got the point where I felt I was changing my mechanics a little bit, and that's not what you want to do when your pitching because then you blow something else out."

But what is interesting is that manager Dusty Baker said on the Colorado trip when they announced the injury that Solis is "not a complainer." So for Solis to come forward to let the training staff know he was having a problem with his shoulder was a big step.

"It was a good time to say something, couple weeks before September, and games start really mattering when we get into that race," Solis said. "Take a little time off now, take it day by day and we'll see what happens."

Solis, another of the Tommy John survivors on the club, held his breath a little bit when he went for the MRI on his left shoulder. He was relieved when the results returned for anything other than inflammation.

"Oh, yeah, thank God," Solis said. "Obviously, as a pitcher, you're worried that you have a full tear of something, but it wasn't that painful. It was more just like it was locking up on me. Thankfully, the doctor came in and said it looks great. Got a normal thrower's shoulder really, it's just inflammation."

Solis said his rehab work each day depends on what the shoulder feels like when he arrives at the park.

"We're kind of basing it off of how I feel each day," Solis said. "We're working a lot on stabilization, that kind of thing, and, 'Hey, how's it feel today?' 'Well, I'm feeling it here, so we'll work on that spot.' It's not necessarily treating the entire thing, it's just coming in every day and it feels bad here. All right, great, well let's work on that."

Similar to right-hander Stephen Strasburg, who went on the DL this week with right elbow soreness, Solis believes going to the disabled list and getting the rehab done with his team in first place by eight games will benefit the club and himself so he can have the opportunity to pitch in October if the Nationals make the playoffs.

"Damn right I do," Solis said. "I thought it was a good time to say something just because if you let it get worse and worse and worse, now I need three weeks off.

"Well, we can't give that to you now because we are in such a tight race. Who wants that? Especially when, going into September, where we're in first place and I want to clinch that thing as early as possible. I want to be back as soon as possible and hopefully that will be by early September."