Edwards shut down with stress fracture in scapula

NEW YORK – Though encouraged by the recent return of two key relievers from the injured list, the Nationals recently received bad news about one of their other key bullpen arms attempting to return from the IL.

Carl Edwards Jr. has been shut down indefinitely with a stress fracture in his right scapula, a significant derailment of the veteran’s rehab efforts.

Edwards, who has been out since June 20 with shoulder inflammation, appeared to be on track to return for the season’s final month, making two rehab appearances for Single-A Wilmington in the last week. The first appearance went well, with Edwards retiring the side on 12 pitches. But his second outing Saturday did not, with the pitcher retiring only one of the five batters he faced and surrendering two homers and a triple.

Edwards reported not feeling right after that most recent game, and the Nationals scheduled an MRI for him, which revealed the stress fracture.

“We’re going to shut him down indefinitely until this goes away,” manager Davey Martinez said. “It stinks, because he was working his way back. But his last outing, he said he just didn’t feel right. I don’t know how long it’s going to take, but he’s going to be out for a while.”

One of the Nationals’ most reliable late-inning relievers each of the last two seasons, Edwards had a 3.69 ERA and 1.516 WHIP in 32 games and looked like a prime candidate to be dealt to a contender at the trade deadline. But the 31-year-old, who is due to become a free agent at season’s end, went on the 15-day IL two months ago, and that ruined his potential trade value.

Now it’s unlikely Edwards will be ready to return to pitch at all this season, with serious questions about what the future holds for him next year.

“We’re going to do what we can to keep him strengthened,” Martinez said. “But there’s no throwing for a while.”

The Nationals have been able to withstand the sustained loss of Edwards thanks to dominant work from Kyle Finnegan since early April, the emergence of Jordan Weems and Andrés Machado as more reliable late-inning options and the recent return of both Hunter Harvey and Mason Thompson from their own injuries.

The Nats also hope to get another key late-inning arm back sometime in September in Tanner Rainey. The former closer, who had Tommy John surgery more than one year ago, has now made two rehab appearances in the last five days, including a 19-pitch outing Tuesday for Double-A Harrisburg that included one hit and two strikeouts.

Rainey will be due for another appearance later this week. Martinez stressed the team doesn’t intend to activate him off the 60-day IL until he shows he can handle the rigors of a major league workload, including appearances on back-to-back days.

Thaddeus Ward, meanwhile, is slated to make his first rehab appearance Thursday for Wilmington. The Rule 5 draftee, out since July 3 with right shoulder inflammation, is being built up to start and hopes to complete four innings in this game. The Nationals may try to use Ward as a big league starter sometime in September if they need to shut down young rotation members MacKenzie Gore and/or Jake Irvin.