Washington Nationals: Ryan Zimmerman Sits with Soreness, to Return Wednesday?

The Washington Nationals are being cautious with Ryan Zimmerman since his DL stint earlier this season.

Zimmerman was originally in the lineup on Tuesday but was scratched after manager Davey Johnson forced him to sit according to Amanda Comak of the Washington Times.

"

Ryan Zimmerman dealing w some soreness in the same area of his shoulder, AC joint. Davey forced him to sit. Will play tom. Team offday Thurs

— Amanda Comak (@acomak) May 23, 2012"

This soreness gives the Nats and their fans a bit of a reason to be concerned.

It does not look like another trip to the DL will be in order, but a season of soreness might be. Zimmerman is going to have to find a way to work through the pain and try to have a productive season.

Since his return from the DL, Zimmerman is hitting .273 with one home run in 55 at-bats. His average is actually better since his return, as he is hitting only .248 over the entire season. The soreness is clearly causing his performance to suffer considering he is a career .288 hitter.

The Nationals will hold their breath as the season continues but hopefully this is something that he can work through and get back to the hitter that the Nats expect him to be.

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