Williams on Desmond, Werth and Nats' first half

Heading into the last series before the All-Star break, two of the Nationals' most reliable players are dealing with injuries. Both shortstop Ian Desmond and right fielder Jayson Werth were injured in Thursday's loss to the Orioles. Desmond was struck on the right hand by a Darren O'Day pitch in the eighth inning and is out of tonight's lineup. Werth fouled a ball off his foot in the ninth, but is starting tonight. After staying in the game initially, Desmond had to leave before the bottom of the eighth after having trouble throwing the ball during warmup tosses. Although Desmond is out Friday, manager Matt Williams does not anticipate he will miss much time. "He's fine. It's a little sore," Williams said during his pregame media session at Citizens Bank Park. "He got in and did some early treatment today. He was able to throw the ball a little bit." X-rays came back negative, but Desmond is still dealing with swelling in his hand. "It's kind of in the meaty part of it, so it's going to create soreness and limit mobility as it is," Williams said. The Nats skipper did say that if Desmond was needed in an emergency situation or it was later in the season, the shortstop would be play. Williams anticipates that Desmond can play the remainder of the series. Werth is in slightly better shape. Although said he was "pretty sore" after last night, Werth is in tonight's lineup. "Usually, you can manage (the pain) and get through the game, but the next day is when you're not sure (if you can play)," Werth said. "He feels OK," Williams said. "I don't know if he's going to be full speed tonight, but he should be good to play." The number of injuries that the Nationals have dealt with this season has been well-documented. Ryan Zimmerman, Desmond, Wilson Ramos, Adam LaRoche, Doug Fister, Gio Gonzalez and Denard Span have all spent time on the disabled list for the Nationals. Despite the injuries, the Nationals are tied for first place with the Braves in the National League East. "You sit here with three games left and you're tied for first, I would take it," Williams said. "I don't know anybody that wouldn't. Could it be better? Sure, but it could be a heck of a lot worse, too. I look at it like we are where we're at and we have a chance with a full boat of guys for the most part. For the most part, everyone is healthy. We're going to give 'em hell and see what we can do."