Adams could return Wednesday, Harper working at first base

The Nationals believe they could have Matt Adams back on their active roster Wednesday, with Ryan Zimmerman on track to return next week and Matt Wieters still shooting for a return right around the All-Star break.

All three injured position players took at-bats in a simulated game this afternoon, facing a couple of minor leaguers the club brought in to pitch on a day with the heat index at 106. And all three emerged from the session feeling well, they and manager Davey Martinez said.

Adams is set to be the first one to come off the disabled list, perhaps in fewer than 48 hours. The first baseman/left fielder will go on a rehab assignment with Double-A Harrisburg beginning Tuesday, and that stint may last only one game before he returns to Washington.

"At least get a game in, and see how he feels after that," Martinez said. "Hopefully, maybe have him back as early as Wednesday, we'll see."

Adams has been out since June 15, when he fractured his left index finger trying to bunt in Toronto. A return Wednesday would come only 19 days after he suffered the injury and would be a boon to a Nationals lineup that has missed the production of a player whose .926 OPS is second on the club only to rookie sensation Juan Soto.

Zimmerman isn't eligible to come off the 60-day DL from his right oblique strain until July 9, but the veteran believes he's just about ready to return, and said he was pleased with his session during today's simulated game.

"Now it's just about getting reps and getting ready to play in a game," he said. "But everything felt good."

Zimmerman had been hinting in recent days that he wanted to avoid a rehab assignment, but Martinez all but said today that Zimmerman will go play somewhere later this week.

"He'll do his running progression, everything," the manager said. "But he's close to going out as well."

Wieters, who had left hamstring surgery May 16, still needs to cross more hurdles than his two teammates, most notably full running on the bases. But the veteran, who has been hitting and catching bullpen sessions with no trouble, said he believes a return around the All-Star break in two weeks remains within reach.

"I think it's still a good goal," Wieters said. "We're still shooting for that. I'd like to get a little bit more progression in the running and then it'll become a really realistic goal."

The return of these players will boost the Nationals' lineup and - in the cases of Adams and Zimmerman - give the club its originally planned duo of first basemen. Which made the sight this afternoon of Bryce Harper working at first base with coach Tim Bogar a bit of a surprise.

Harper has talked about his interest in playing first base sometime and on occasion with jokingly take grounders there. This, though, was a more formal practice session with Bogar, prompting Martinez to be asked about it during his pregame session with reporters.

"It's just kind of him getting outside of his comfort zone and letting him do something different," the manager said. "He's actually not bad. I don't know if he'll ever start a game there, but I believe that if we're in a pinch and we've got to make some kind of decision in-game, he probably could play there. So it was good to see him out there fielding and working with Bogey. Here's a guy, I love him to death, because he'll do whatever it takes for this team to win. That's part of who Bryce is."