Wieters happy to be back; Glover throwing again

Catcher Matt Wieters (mild left oblique strain) was activated from the disabled list yesterday. Today he is back in the starting lineup.

"He's good. He's ready to go," Nationals manager Davey Martinez said. "He's going to play. (Pedro Severino) is here and Sevy is going to get some playing time, too. I'm excited to have Matt back and healthy."

With Severino playing so well and Wieters coming off an injury, the question now is, will Martinez split time between the two or will one get more games than the other?

"With the injury that Matt had, I want to be careful with him, so we'll find places to give him days," Martinez said. "Sevy has done great. I want to keep him going, as well. So, he'll get an opportunity to play."

Wieters is glad to be able to play again, starting as catcher and batting No. 7.

"I don't like missing games at any time," Wieters said. "It's good to get back and get playing and get the competition level ramped up again. I'm glad it was only 10 days and now excited to get back out there."

Wieters made it clear that the oblique issue was the reason for the disabled list stay, but the stay was more for precautionary reasons. While he was away, the Nats concentrated on core strength, with the oblique obviously being such an important part of rotation for a baseball player.

"I think we felt like the oblique was part of it, but a real minor part of it," Wieters said of the DL stint. "I think it was more getting everything kind of in line, getting the hips and getting the ribs kind of lined up, getting everything right back in the right position. And that's why we were kind of optimistic from the get-go that 10 days would probably be enough."

Wieters said he was going to be the designated hitter the second game of rehab in Single-A Potomac, but it turned into being a 10:30 a.m. game, so he was fine with skipping that one and just getting back to the Nats. Of course, Adam Eaton having to go on the disabled list played a bigger part in that decision to get him back here.

Tonight's weather forecast of 65 to 70 degrees also is a good thing, one of the best days in D.C. this entire month.

"It's more fun to play in warm weather and warmth anyways, but definitely it will help stay loose a little bit easier than what we have been playing seems like the first 15 days of the season," Wieters said.

As for playing time, now that Severino is here and is playing well, Wieters is not concerned.

"No, whatever lineup is up we are going to go out there and play and the catcher's job is to go out there and get a win, whatever it takes," Wieters said.

Wieters made no excuses about the struggle she had at the plate last season and how he was motivated this off season to change things. He continues to work with hitting coach Kevin Long on the same thing they were focusing on in spring training.

"The biggest thing that came out of spring training is that we were able to kind of get the terminology down to where we know when I feel good, what it should look like, and when I don't feel good, what it should look like," Wieters said. "Where we can get back to where it feels good, we can kind of go through just talking about it. We have some verbiage that will help us get back where we need to go."

* Martinez had a quick update on three pitchers that continue working in extended spring training. We start with the latest on right-hander Koda Glover (right shoulder tendinitis, 60-day) and right-hander Joaquin Benoit (right forearm strain). The biggest news was Glover is throwing again.

"They are both progressing well," Martinez said. "I know Benoit is still doing his strengthening program and he says he feels a little better. Koda is doing well. He is doing well in his strengthening program. He is throwing 75 feet now. Hopefully they keep progressing."

Benoit is not throwing yet.

Martinez reported that right-hander Jeremy Hellickson is pitching tonight in extended spring training.

"We will see what happens today (then) we will re-evaluate," Martinez said of Hellickson. "But I think once we get him up to 100 pitches I think he's good. I really do."