Williams says Zimmerman will play left first, then move to first and third bases

Nationals manager Matt Williams says Ryan Zimmerman will start in left field, then move on to first base and third base sometime next week as he resumes meaningful games for the first time since July 22, when a right hamstring injury sent him to the disabled list for 55 games.

The goal: to get Zimmerman back up to speed over the regular season's final nine games, especially at the plate, so that he will be able to contribute during the postseason.

Williams chose left field as Zimmerman's position in his first game back from the DL because it's where his injured star played most frequently during his rehabilitation stint with the Nats' fall instructional league team in Viera, Fla., over the past few days.

"It's where he's played the most innings in his rehab opportunity," Williams said before Saturday's game against the Marlins in Miami. "It gives us a chance to get (Bryce Harper) his last day off. He's none too happy with me right now, but that's OK. It's a question of trying to get Zim at-bats. We'll look to do some other guys, give them some rest over the next few days."

That means Harper could be used to spell center fielder Denard Span or right fielder Jayson Werth in the coming days. Williams cited the need to get at-bats for Zimmerman, but said he wouldn't reconfigure the lineup to move Zimmerman up in the order to achieve that goal.

"It's important, he's a big part of our club," Williams said of Zimmerman. "He's been gone for a lot of this season. He's frustrated by that and we've missed him in that regard. It's important to have him back. He's a run-producing bat. ... That bat produces all the time."

But Zimmerman will also play some first base and third base. The latter, Williams said, will provide the biggest challenge because it's a reaction position.

"Right now, as we ease him into this, it's probably not the best idea for him," Williams said. "In left, if there's a base hit, he can calmly go after it; he can go at 80 percent, make the play, throw the ball in and do the things he needs to do. At first, he probably can anticipate a little more, especially with a right-handed hitter, just going to his left to cover the bag. Those things are part of the rehab process. Third base is a little more difficult because you just don't know. So I think we'll have to get him there at some point, but it may be later this coming week."

Once he's able to play third, Zimmerman can give Anthony Rendon a day off from the hot corner. Williams also mentioned wanting to give second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera a breather, which means Zimmerman would play third and Rendon would shift to second.

For the time being, the focus will be on getting Zimmerman at-bats, and Williams hopes to get him four times to the plate in each of his starts.