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Trainer Lee Kuntz met with the media this afternoon to address a number of Nationals injuries. We'll concentrate this post on the maladies of players not named Stephen Strasburg, whose shoulder inflammation is discussed in much detail here.
--Jesus Flores is throwing in Viera again, playing catch from 90 feet and hitting off a tee. The catcher, who has been out all season while coming back from a torn labrum, is feeling better, Kuntz said. "We'll continue to expand him out and see how he reacts," Kuntz said.
--Chien-Ming Wang threw 40 pitches off a mound in Viera today. Kuntz said the Nationals have him throwing off a mound once every three days. "With the (shoulder) injury he had, he's had his ups and downs," Kuntz said. "But as of this last trial, he feels better, and we're going to continue to try to push it."
--Jason Marquis will pitch tonight at Triple-A Syracuse. A source said today that Marquis could take Strasburg's start on Sunday, depending on how things go tonight. "He continues to feel good, and he's climbing the ladder," Kuntz said. "We're trying to build his innings back up." Marquis had surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow in May.
--JD Martin had an epidural to relieve some of the pain in his back, and is still hoping he'll only be out for 15 days. The problem, Martin said, is that two bulging discs in his back are pinching his nerves, causing pain in his legs. There are three shots Martin could get to relieve the pain, and if that doesn't work, surgery might come into play. "But usually it only takes one or two shots, so we'll see," Martin said. "We're crossing our fingers."
--Jordan Zimmermann, who pitched Monday at Single-A Hagerstown, is still improving on his way back from Tommy John surgery, though a source who saw him pitch said he isn't yet able to snap his breaking ball like he'll need to be able to do. The source also said the Nationals could be shooting for the middle of August to bring Zimmermann back to the majors, rather than the early part of the month. "He's getting his innings, and we're building him back up," Kuntz said. "We'll discuss that internally and go from there."
