Craig Stammen impressively handles devastating injury news

Right-hander Craig Stammen is in unfamiliar territory. Before yesterday, the 31-year-old had never been on the disabled list at any point in his career since the Nationals selected him in the 12th round of 2005 First-Year Player Draft. Unfortunately, his maiden trip to the DL may cost Stammen the remainder of the season, as he is set to have surgery on Sunday to repair a torn flexor muscle in his right forearm.

"It kinda depends when they go in there what they see and what they find," said Stammen. "So we'll see. I'm praying for something that's good. You never know - it could be the rest of the year, it could be more than that."

Standing in front of his locker answering questions for quite possibly the last time in a season filled with championship expectations, Stammen was remarkably poised this afternoon.

"My initial reaction was probably like, 'Bring it on.' I got another challenge to overcome," he said. "It's a part of my career and maybe something that will define it later on."

After coming up with the Nationals as a starter in 2009, Stammen transitioned to the bullpen, where he became one of baseball's most durable and effective relievers over the past five seasons.

"He works really hard and that's a testament to his longevity," said Nationals manager Matt Williams. "The unfortunate part about baseball is that it's not a natural motion to do that. To go out there and throw the ball as hard as you can, we're not built to do that."

Williams grew concerned when Stammen brought attention to his right forearm stiffness on Tuesday because the seven-year veteran is typically the last to complain of common pain.

"It's been like that my whole life," said Stammen. "I've always been able to throw and throw and throw, and never get sore and always be able to go out that next day. So I think the most frustrating part is it finally caught up to me, even though I didn't see it coming at all. There were no symptoms or anything like that. It just happened. I guess that's the most disappointing thing is just not being able to take the ball for my teammates."

The oil had barely dried in players' gloves at spring training before the Nats had a host of players on the sidelines with injuries. The news on Stammen creates further problems for Williams' bullpen, which is already without right-hander Casey Janssen, who was expected to fill the departed Tyler Clippard's prominent eighth-inning role. Janssen hasn't pitched in a game since the last week of March after experiencing tendinitis in his throwing shoulder.

"You consider your team fortunate if you go through a season and you don't have any issues," said Williams. "So Craig is one, but we have an opportunity to get Casey back pretty soon, which is a good sign. You know, that kinda shores up the back end with some experience so we'll have to weather that storm in the interim."

Janssen is just participating in the throwing portion of his rehab program in Viera, Fla., but Williams anticipates the former Blue Jays closer will begin pitching to batters in the coming days.

In the meantime, the Nats have added right-hander Rafael Martin and lefty Felipe Rivero to their depleted bullpen. Martin shone in his major league debut on Wednesday, striking out five consecutive Red Sox hitters in two innings of work.

Suddenly, right-hander Tanner Roark becomes much more valuable in a relief role. Williams has been coy on how on he would handle Roark since the beginning of spring training, as if it's a delicate situation considering the 28-year-old lost his spot in the Nats' starting rotation after a stellar 2014 campaign.

"I would imagine that Tanner will get different roles," said Williams. "You could see him in the seventh inning for an inning. Again, he's got the ability to go long, so if we run into that situation, we have to be mindful of it. He could find himself in multiple roles."

Stammen says he isn't going anywhere despite not being able to take the mound for the foreseeable future. He has already inquired about becoming an unofficial member of the coaching staff for the remainder of the season.

"I feel like I'm kinda fully invested at this point," said Stammen. "I've been here long enough and been around these guys (too long) to desert them at this point. Any encouragement that I can pass along is probably what I'll be doing."