Baseball

Zimmerman missed a couple weeks of action in late April and early May due to soreness in the AC joint in his right shoulder, and it sounds like it's an issue again. The good news is that Nationals manager Davey Johnson had to force him to sit out Tuesday, and Zimmerman is expected to return to the lineup Wednesday. But, it's a concern moving forward if he can't shake the shoulder woes. Zimmerman is batting just .273 with one homer over 55 at-bats since returning from the DL.

Desmond finished 1-for-3 with a walk and his fifth stolen base. He's been impressive this year, hitting .275 with eight homers and 21 RBI while bouncing around the Nationals lineup. If he keeps up this pace, there's a chance he finishes with a 20/20 campaign.

With Henry Rodriguez being demoted back to setup duty, the door has been opened for other members of the Nationals' bullpen to grab the ball in the ninth inning. Clippard has pitched very well this season and should continue to receive opportunities along with Sean Burnett and Craig Stammen.

Zimmermann walked two and struck out two on the night while improving to 3-4 on the season. He now owns an impressive 2.47 ERA and 40/11 K/BB ratio, and looks to be developing into one of the best pitchers in the National League. He'll look to carry over the momentum from this strong effort when he faces the Marlins in Miami on Monday.

Zimmerman was originally penciled in but got scratched on a "manager's decision." Chad Tracy will bat third and play third base on Tuesday night against the Phillies.

Rodriguez is one of the hardest throwers in the major leagues and carries a potentially dominant arsenal, but he has blown three saves and owns an underwhelming 4.50 ERA on the season. The Nationals will use a closer-by-committee approach going forward, with Sean Burnett, Craig Stammen and Tyler Clippard all getting chances until Drew Storen (elbow) is ready to be activated.

Mattheus was apparently given the news when he visited a specialist Tuesday in Baltimore. He'll need to wear a walking boot for a few weeks, but should be able to continue some lifting and throwing while his foot heals. He is headed to the disabled list while Chien-Ming Wang (hamstring) will replace him on the active roster.