With Zimmerman injury news foreboding, expect Rizzo to make a move

The Nationals fell to the Marlins 3-0 on Tuesday night. It was their second straight loss and third in four games. The nine-game road trip suddenly reminds us of a recent long trip to San Diego, San Francisco and St. Louis. During that West Coast swing, the Nationals raced out to a 5-2 record to start the road trip. They ended up losing three straight in St. Louis to finish 5-5. Later in Milwaukee, against the first-place Brewers, the Nationals won the first two games of the road trip. They then lost three straight, only to bounce back with a trip-salvaging doubleheader sweep at the Chicago Cubs. Now, this nine-game trip through Colorado, Cincinnati and Miami. Again, the Nationals raced out to a 4-2 start on the roadie, but have lost two in a row. They need a win today to avoid a Marlins sweep and come home with a winning trip. In last night's 3-0 loss, the Nationals did not have Ryan Zimmerman available. Jayson Werth was sidelined with a sore ankle, although he did pinch-hit in the ninth. What is amazing is this Nationals team has been without several of its major offensive players for half of the season. That is right, half of the season. Consider the Nationals have played 104 games. So 58 regular season games remain. Three everyday players have missed a combined 169 games. Zimmerman has played in only 53, Bryce Harper only 45 and Wilson Ramos just 45. Add in that Adam LaRoche has played 87 of the 104 and Denard Span 95 of the 104, and you see the trend. Further, starting pitchers Doug Fister (lat strain) and Gio Gonzalez (left shoulder inflammation) have missed time for various injuries. Only Ian Desmond (102), Anthony Rendon (100) and Werth (101) have played in at least 100 of the 104 games. So, essentially a third of your starting lineup has been able to play every day. The Nationals had all nine starting offensive players in the lineup for about three weeks from late June until July 22. And now with reports that Zimmerman could have a Grade 3 hamstring strain, the most severe grade of that injury, it is unlikely the Nationals will have Mike Rizzo's envisioned starting nine for the rest of the season. Can they survive offensively for the rest of the season? Of course. Would Rizzo go out and seek an everyday player to improve that possibility of not only surviving, but winning the division? He has a day to decide. It would seem the Nationals have to add a piece just to protect their bench with Danny Espinosa likely in the starting lineup for the rest of the season. It is the way Rizzo set up this roster prior to the season. You would expect him to add another bat to a team that has as good a shot as any to win it.