While an injury to his left wrist may have kept Michael Morse out of Washington’s lineup the past two games in New York, it doesn’t appear that the injury will cause him to miss any significant time as the Nationals’ 2012 season winds to an end. Morse underwent an examination on Wednesday, including an MRI, that determined he is suffering from a torn sheath and a bone bruise. While the injury is certainly painful, surgery won’t be necessary as the best remedy is simple rest. The team will also send copies of his MRI results to a specialist in Baltimore for a second opinion, just to be safe.
Michael Morse’s wrist injury will not require surgery which is fortunate for the Nationals with the season winding down. (Image Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-US PRESSWIRE)
Morse sat out of Tuesday and Wednesday’s games against the Mets (both wins) and the team is off today, which helps get everyone a much needed break. The team will play three games in Atlanta over the weekend before enjoying another day off on Monday, their final scheduled off day of the season.
Davey Johnson expects Morse to take batting practice prior to Friday’s game, according to Mark Zuckerman, and if things go well then it’s likely Morse will be in the lineup. The series could be pivotal towards wrapping up the NL East title, as a three game Washington sweep could extend the Nationals lead in the division to 11.5 games with just 16 games remaining.
Injuries have plagued Morse for much of the season, starting with a torn lat that kept him out of action for the season’s first two months. He swung the bat well through June and July, but has struggled since the calendar turned to August. His season batting average sat at .301 at the end of play August 1st. Since he’s batted just .265/.293/.415 and he’s seen his season line drop to just .285/.315/.444.