Washington Nationals News: Jayson Werth Has Two Fractures In Left Wrist
By Ricky Keeler
It’s been a rough season for Washington Nationals left fielder Jayson Werth on the injury front. On Thursday, the organization got more bad news on Werth. The 36-old left fielder, who has been out since May 15 after being hit by a pitch from Odrisamer Despaigne in the second inning vs. San Diego, is going to be out for much longer than expected.
William Ladson of MLB.com reported that a CT scan performed on Werth’s left wrist by Dr. Richard Berger of the Mayo Clinic showed that Werth has two small fracures in that wrist. Ladson also wrote that the doctor said if there are no setbacks, the Nats will get their left fielder back in August.
More from Nationals News
- Latest DraftKings Sportsbook Promo Code in Maryland: Bet $5, Win $200 Guaranteed
- Nationals Claim Jeter Downs Off Waivers
- Washington Nationals Tuesday Q&A
- A Washington Nationals Christmas Wishlist
- Robots in Baseball? The Possibility of an Automated Ball/Strike System in the MLB
This isn’t the first time that Werth has had a significant problem with his wrist. On May 6, 2012, against his former team, the Philadelphia Philies, Werth slid for a ball in right field and would end up having a radius fracture in his wrist, causing him to miss 75 games.
2015 has not been kind to Werth. In January, he had arthroscopic surgery to repair an A/C joint in his right shoulder. He was out till April 13, when the Nats began a three game series at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox. In 27 games this season, he is batting .208 with two home runs and 12 RBI’s and has a rather low slugging percentage of .287. Plus, he switched positions this year with Bryce Harper and has had a tough time adjusting from right field to left field.
So, what’s the next option for the Nats? They have three players who can play left field in Clint Robinson, Tyler Moore, and Michael Taylor. Mainly, manager Matt Williams has used Robinson (.229, 0 HR, 3 RBI’s) as a pinch hitter or when the Nats are facing a left-handed starting pitcher.
Moore is hitting .208 with three home runs and eight RBI’s. As for Taylor, one of the Nats top prospects, he is hitting .219 with three home runs and 13 RBI’s. However, the 24-year old has been struggling as of late. He has just two hits in his last 25 at-bats. That being said, Taylor has looked much better defensively in left field as opposed to when he filled in for Denard Span in center field.
Fortunately, the Nats have had their other two outfielders, Span and Harper, get off to great starts to their 2015 seasons. There isn’t as much pressure on the left field spot to give a big contribution because the rest of the lineup has stepped their game up. Nevertheless, you have to wonder now whether finding another bat is going to be a top priority for general manager Mike Rizzo between now and the trade deadline on July 31.