Ian Desmond’s Rehab Progressing

Ian Desmond, on the shelf since mid-June due to a tear in his left oblique, is making positive progress in his rehab and could be getting closer to a return to the Washington Nationals lineup. Desmond took batting practice and fielded ground balls prior to last night’s game at San Francisco, his first full workout since landing on the disabled list.

Desmond has continued to progress through his rehab ahead of schedule. Last week in Houston he started fielding grounders. He started hitting in a cage during the team’s series in Arizona. He’s scheduled to participate in two additional full workouts while the team is in San Francisco before a decision is made, according to Davey Johnson:

"I’ve got a little plan in the back of my head and I’m not telling you. I want him to get through these three days. If we get through Wednesday, I’ll tell you what it is. You’ll know by then."

It’s unclear if this plan includes a minor league rehab stint, a normal part of the injury rehabilitation process. The Nationals are fortunate, as they have been able to overcome the loss of Desmond quite well since he went down. Danny Espinosa has filled in admirably at shortstop and the team’s offense hasn’t missed a beat. But getting Desmond back, be it later this week or later this month, is going to be a huge boost for this Nationals team heading into the end of the regular season.