Washington Nationals News: Craig Stammen needs surgery to repair flexor tear
By Pablo Roa
Good afternoon DoD readers, and welcome to today’s District Daily! Checkout some great Washington Nationals articles from around the web below!
The Nationals had another great win last night, this time beating thePhillies, 5-2, in the series opener at Nationals Park. But it wasn’t all good news for the Nationals yesterday as the team was informed of yet another injury to a key player—only this time the player may be out for the rest of the season.
As MLB.com’s Damian Cristodero notes in his article below, Nationals reliever Craig Stammen underwent an MRI yesterday that revealed a torn flexor tendon. The injury will require surgery, and it could force Stammen to miss the remainder of that season.
Needless to say, this is terrible news for the Nationals. Stammen has been one of the team’s most important relievers for years, and he’ll be greatly missed by a Nationals’ bullpen that, without him, is relatively young and inexperienced.
But while Stammen is undoubtedly an import part of the bullpen, the fact that he could be out for the season isn’t the end of the world for the Nationals. The team has a wealth of pitching depth and more than enough talented relievers to make up for the loss of Stammen. The team is fortunate enough to have one of the best pitchers in baseball, Tanner Roark, as their long-man in the ‘pen, which makes the loss of Stammen a little easier to handle.
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Nevertheless, Stammen has been a key fixture in the ‘pen for years and someone will have to step up and take his place in the bullpen.
Also in today’s Daily, Cristodero discusses Nationals outfielder Michael Taylor and his thoughts on his up-and-down performance in last night’s game. As Cristodero notes, Taylor made a costly error in the field that led to an unearned run for the Phillies and then, shortly thereafter, got that run back with a solo home run.
According to Cristodero, Taylor was very upset about making the error and the home run didn’t make him feel much better. That being said, there’s something to be said about a young player who quickly forgets about a mistake in the field and doesn’t let it affect his hitting.
Clearly, Taylor kept his head in the game and moved on from his costly error, which allowed him to hit a home run and give the Nationals a lead in last night’s game. Yes, he shouldn’t have made the error in the first place. But his reaction to the error and determination to move on is commendable, especially for a young player.
Be sure to check out the articles below, they’re definitely worth a read. And as always, stay tuned to DoD for all your Washington Nationals needs.
Stammen needs surgery to repair flexor tear
WASHINGTON — The Nationals’ bullpen took a significant blow Thursday when an MRI revealed right-hander Craig Stammen has a torn flexor tendon and will have surgery that could end his season.
“It depends on the extent of the damage and the rehab, but it’s possible,” manager Matt Williams said of his workhorse reliever. “We’ll see.”
When the surgery will be has not been determined, Williams said.
Stammen, who pitched in 163 games the past three year and this season has thrown four scoreless innings, has felt discomfort since Sunday. A seven-pitch outing Tuesday against the Red Sox was his final appearance. On Wednesday, the 31-year-old went on the 15-day disabled list. Read full article here.
Taylor: Homer doesn’t totally ease sting of error
WASHINGTON — Nationals center fielder Michael Taylor was in no mood to explain what happened on the seemingly easy fly ball he misplayed in the fourth inning Thursday night against the Phillies.
“I’m not even going to tell you what happened, because it will sound like an excuse,” Taylor said. “I just dropped it. It can’t happen.”
Clearly, Taylor took the play hard, especially because it helped give the Phillies an unearned run. But credit to him, his teammates said, that he did not let it affect the rest of his game. In fact, Taylor’s home run, which led off the fifth, was the game-deciding hit in Washington’s 5-2 victory at Nationals Park. Read full article here.