Elías feeling better, but IL decision is looming (Nats down 10-4)

PHOENIX - The Nationals continue to hope Roenis Elías suffered only an upper leg cramp running down the line Friday night to try to beat out a chopper to short, but they are still planning to have the newly acquired reliever undergo an MRI to check for a hamstring strain and may feel compelled to place him on the injured list in the next 24 hours to be safe.

General manager Mike Rizzo today referred to Elías having "tweaked his hammy," and though he doesn't sense the left-hander's injury is serious he suggested the Nationals won't want to wait too long if they think an IL stint is necessary.

"Oftentimes those things that feel like a cramp early on linger into something a little bit more significant," Rizzo said. "It doesn't look to be serious, but we're not sure where he's at. We don't want to be shorthanded for nine days, 10 days, either. So we'll see where we're at. It doesn't seem to be too beyond that kind of a thought process."

Elías, one of three relievers acquired in the final hours before Wednesday's trade deadline, impressed in his Nationals debut Friday night, retiring both Diamondbacks batters he faced in the bottom of the sixth.

With the left-handed-hitting Jake Lamb due to lead off the bottom of the seventh, manager Davey Martinez decided to let Elías bat for himself in the top of the inning. Martinez gave the reliever (who was 1-for-6 in his career as a hitter) strict instructions not to swing, but Elías wound up hitting a chopper over the mound and toward shortstop, then hustled down the line to try to beat it out.

Steps before reaching first base, Elías slowed down and grabbed his upper right leg. He limped back to the dugout and never did re-take the mound, with fellow newcomer Hunter Strickland instead coming out of the bullpen cold to pitch the entire seventh inning.

"It's unfortunate," Rizzo said. "It's hard to keep competitors from competing. A lot of times instincts take over. And unfortunately, he felt something. We'll see where that takes us. But before that, I really liked what I saw. We scouted him quite a bit. Our guys who evaluated him really liked him. He's had some success. And I think not only this year but beyond, we like what we have in him."

Elías was walking around the clubhouse this afternoon without any noticeable limp, and Martinez said he continues to be treated for a cramp. The manager also said the Nationals still intend to have him undergo an MRI to check for a hamstring strain, though that test had not yet occurred as of this afternoon.

The Nationals don't have an obvious candidate to replace Elías if he does need to go on the IL. They just designated fellow lefty Tony Sipp for assignment before Friday's game, and Sipp would need to spend at least three days clearing waivers before he could be outrighted to Triple-A Fresno. Even if they wanted to bring him back, the Nats would have to put Sipp back on the 40-man roster, then potentially designate him again whenever Elías is ready to return.

The club has already been able to retain the services of three right-handers who were designated in the last week. Justin Miller, Javy Guerra and Michael Blazek all cleared waivers and were outrighted to Fresno. Any one of them could have his contract purchased and rejoin the big league bullpen, though the Nationals would face a similar dilemma once Elías was ready to return.

* Howie Kendrick is once again not in the lineup after he was a last-minute scratch from Friday's game with leg cramps. Kendrick did run in the outfield and took grounders today during batting practice, but the Nationals want to be cautious with the 36-year-old infielder.

"I want to wait and see how he feels after he does everything today," Martinez said. "Hopefully, he'll be available to pinch-hit today. That would be great if he can. But we'll just have to monitor him. He's had a history with hamstring issues, so we have to make sure he's good."

* Though they were encouraged by Max Scherzer's return to throwing on flat ground Friday, the Nationals aren't going to rush their ace back from an upper back strain. Scherzer is eligible to come off the IL on Monday, but he hasn't yet attempted to throw off a mound, and it doesn't sound like that's in the immediate plan.

"We've got to see him on a mound," Rizzo said. "We have to put him through his paces, and he needs to extend himself and throw bullpens and make sure that he's 100 percent before we activate him and put him on the mound."

* Ryan Zimmerman ran bases and took grounders during batting practice today for the first time since returning to the IL with plantar fasciitis in his right foot 13 days ago.

Update: With a pair of imposing starters on the mound, tonight's game obviously has had early offensive fireworks on both sides. The Nationals jumped out to a 2-0 lead thanks to Trea Turner's infield single, Adam Eaton's triple down the right field line and Anthony Rendon's sacrifice lineout. Not a bad start vs. Robbie Ray. But then Stephen Strasburg issued a one-out walk to Ketel Marte and then watched as Eduardo Escobar hammered a fastball to right field for a very loud, two-run homer. After one inning, it's already 2-2.

Update II: Strasburg has been really good keeping the ball in the park this season. Except when he faces the Diamondbacks. He's allowed only 15 homers in 2019, but six of those have come in only seven innings against Arizona. Nick Ahmed became the latest to do it when he blasted a fastball to center field in the bottom of the second. The Nats trail 3-2 and Strasburg has to figure out how to solve this problem.

Update III: Yeah, so much for that pitchers' duel here tonight. Strasburg never figured it out and wound up taking one of the worst beatings of his career. He was charged with nine runs in only 4 2/3 innings. That matches the most runs he's ever allowed in the big leagues, the only other instance coming Aug. 17, 2016 at Coors Field. The Nats did hit Ray pretty well, with four runs in five innings. But they're now staring at a 10-4 deficit heading to the sixth as the Diamondbacks bullpen takes over.