First basemen Matt Adams and Ryan Zimmerman each went through full swings during batting practice at Nats Park before the Nationals opened their four-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Adams tweaked his oblique Monday, and Zimmerman has been on the injured list since April 28 with plantar fasciitis in his right foot.
Nationals manager Davey Martinez said coaches and trainers were monitoring Adams before and after batting practice, but feels like the possibility of a trip to the injured list is remote.
"He's good," Martinez said. "He's going to take regular BP today, but he says he feels good. We will see how he feels after batting practice."
Second baseman Howie Kendrick took a ball off his foot this week, but Martinez says the veteran is OK. Kendrick is available tonight but not in the starting lineup.
"He's a little sore, but he says he's good," the skipper confirmed.
Martinez said he had hoped that Zimmerman would get some running in. The first baseman worked out talking ground balls at first base and then full swings during batting practice without a hitch.
"He's going to run today on the treadmill and see how he feels," Martinez said. "Everything else is really good. He spent the week with us doing all baseball activity. He hit a lot. He fielded a lot, he threw. He did everything. The next hurdle is just the running portion. Hopefully, if he progresses he should be pretty much ready to go out on rehab here soon. But the running is going to be key."
Long-term injury updates were good and bad.
First the bad, with right-hander Koda Glover already on the 60-day injured list, he is away again from baseball-related activity after suffering a setback as he recovers from a right forearm strain.
"Koda is shut down," Martinez said. "He had a (platelet-rich plasma) injection a couple of weeks ago, so he's going to miss probably another six weeks or so before he can do anything.
"He was throwing a little bit and then felt the pain in his elbow, got the injection, and now he's shut down."
Martinez said the Nationals have not considered surgery as the next step.
"He talked to Dr. (James) Andrews," Martinez said. "Right now they went with the PRP injection."
The good: Right-hander Austen Williams started a throwing program two days ago, according to Martinez. He has been out with a strained right acromioclavicular (AC) joint since April 18.
"He started to throw again, which is really good news because he hasn't been able to throw in a while," Martinez said. "It was just basically strengthening, and now he's starting to throw. Hopefully, Austen now just has to build up his strength, get back on the mound, and maybe see him sometime in the near future."
Martinez had updates on right-handers Jeremy Hellickson (right shoulder strain, May 20) and Justin Miller (right rotator cuff strain, May 18).
"Hellickson is still shut down from throwing," Martinez said. "He's building up strength. Justin went on a rehab (and) came back and felt stiffness in his shoulder. So we shut him down. He's going to see the doctor today."
Update: Nationals right-hander Erick Fedde allowed a double to leadoff man Jarrod Dyson and then a pair of walks to get in some hot water in the top of the first inning. Adam Jones' grounder to third scored the first run. Eduardo Escobar added an RBI single. The Diamondbacks led 2-0.
Alex Avila led off the top of the second inning with a solo homer on a 3-2 pitch. His fifth homer made it 3-0 Arizona.
Diamondbacks starter Zack Greinke was on point with his four-seam fastball through three innings, striking out three, including called third strikes to Gerardo Parra and Brian Dozier. The Nats do not have a base hit or a base runner through three frames.
After three innings, the Diamondbacks lead the Nationals, 3-0.
Update II: Dyson added a two-run shot in the fourth. His fifth homer of the season, a new career-high, made it 5-0 Diamondbacks.
Meanwhile, Greinke has retired 15 batters with one hit-by-pitch and one double play. Adam Eaton reached after a video review revealed that Greinke's pitch struck him. That lone base runner was erased when Anthony Rendon lined back to Greinke in the next at-bat. The D-backs pitcher threw to first base to double up Eaton.
After five innings, the Nats trail Arizona 5-0.
Update III: Trea Turner broke up the no-hit bid in the bottom of the seventh with a infield single. First baseman Christian Walker dove to his right to nab the well hit grounder, but could not flip the ball to Greinke in time to get the speedy Turner. Adam Eaton followed with a clean single to left field. But the Nats were unable to score in the frame.
After seven innings, the D-backs lead the Nats 5-0.
Update IV: A rain delay began at 9:02 p.m. The Nats were batting with Parra at the plate. There was one out in the bottom of the eighth and the Nats trailed 5-0.
The game is expected to resume at 10:05 p.m.
Update V: The game was delayed by rain in the eighth inning for one hour, three minutes. Greinke was replaced by reliever Yoshihisa Hirano when play resumed.
Greinke pitched 7 1/3 shutout innings, allowing only two hits, no walks, one hit batter and struck out three. He only had to throw 75 pitches, 54 for strikes, to record 22 outs.
After eight innings, the D-backs led 5-0 over the Nats.
Update VI: In the ninth, Archie Bradley allowed a Turner single but nothing else.
Final score: The D-backs 5, the Nats 0.
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