MRI reveals no structural damage to Storen's elbow (plus Morse, LaRoche notes)

VIERA, Fla. - The test results on Drew Storen's right elbow have come in, and the Nationals can breathe a sigh of relief. Storen underwent an MRI on his right elbow yesterday, and the test confirmed that the Nats closer does not have any structural damage to his arm. There's a little inflammation in the elbow joint, Storen said, but nothing's wrong with the reliever's UCL. That's the ligament which, if torn, can result in Tommy John surgery. "There's nothing extremely unnormal," Storen said. Storen said he was never really all that concerned that he had suffered extensive damage to the ligaments or tendons in his elbow, but anytime you're dealing with discomfort in that area, he said, it makes you a little uneasy. The plan for now is to give Storen some time to rest and let the elbow heal before he starts throwing again. Typically, the Nats want their late relievers to be able to throw in a game, then multiple innings in an outing, then on back-to-back days before they're deemed fully ready for the season. Still, the mindset with Storen - as it is with the Nationals' other injured players - will be to proceed with caution. "We expect to be playing in the playoffs," Storen said. "What happens in the end of the year is more important than what happens now." Meanwhile, Michael Morse said that he's not able to give any information on his health or the Platelet Rich Plasma procedure which manager Davey Johnson thinks that the left fielder underwent. Morse did say that he feels great, however, and had a giant smile on his face when I greeted him in the hallway outside the Nats' clubhouse. First baseman Adam LaRoche was on his way out of the Nats' clubhouse just a few minutes ago to go take some at-bats in a minor league game. LaRoche, who has been dealing with a bone bruise on the outside of his left foot, will jog down to first base, but will not make any turns on the bases just yet. It's when LaRoche makes turns that he feels the discomfort in his foot. "The last couple days have felt really good," LaRoche said.