Wieters goes 1-for-4, catches full game in return from DL

PITTSBURGH - Matt Wieters' return from the disabled list was rather uneventful. The veteran catcher went 1-for-4 at the plate, caught all eight defensive innings and allowed two Pittsburgh runners to steal second base. Of greater importance to Wieters was that his surgically repaired hamstring held up and allowed him to play a full big league game for the first time in nearly two months.

"Obviously, would've liked to get a win, but it was fun to be out there with the guys again," he said. "It seems like it had been a while. So it's always better being on the field than in the dugout. I felt like I was part of the team in the dugout (while on the DL). But when you're on the field playing with the guys, you're really feel like what you say might carry more weight than somebody who's not playing."

Wieters experienced firsthand what fellow catchers Pedro Severino and Spencer Kieboom had experienced in recent days: a struggling starter trying to cobble together enough innings to give the Nationals bullpen a break. Jefry Rodriguez wound up surrendering three runs in the first and three more in the second, and though he rebounded to get through five innings on 90 pitches, the damage was already done.

"I thought he was pretty unfortunate, really," Wieters said. "They found some holes, got some hits that weren't bad pitches. Ball that he gets in on a guy and he hits it down the line for a double down the third-base line. ... He did a great job of once he gave up the six runs, getting deeper into the ballgame, which we needed for our bullpen."

Wieters, who had right hamstring surgery May 16, went hitless in his first three plate appearances but then singled off Pirates closer Felipe Vazquez in the top of the ninth. And after catching seven innings Saturday and five innings Sunday for Double-A Harrisburg, he caught the full eight innings (Pittsburgh didn't need to bat in the ninth) Monday.

He said he emerged from this feeling fine, but he also suggested he's likely to get Tuesday off to recover, with manager Davey Martinez giving a start to Kieboom.

"We'll see how the schedule works," Wieters said. "I'll see what Davey wants to do, but it would be four in a row. Three in a row already. I would like to catch four or five (games) before the (All-Star) break. What those are, I don't know. So I'll sit down with Davey for when he wants me to catch and when he doesn't."