Report: Nationals' Elite-Prospect Anthony Rendon Injured Rounding Third

Washington Nationals prospect Anthony Rendon, the sixth-overall pick of the 2011 draft, was injured rounding third base in Saturday night's game.

Rendon, who is the Nationals' top-prospect not named Bryce Harper, hit a double in the fourth inning and injured himself trying to score on an ensuing base hit.

On Twitter, Bill Ladson reports that Rendon has suffered from a "bad sprain in his left ankle."

He went on to say that "it's not known how long he will be out of action."

Witnesses at the game said they saw Rendon hurt himself rounding third and then he needed assistance to get off the field. He was not putting any weight on his left leg.

The Nationals can be relieved, though, that it was not his twice-injured right ankle.

In 2009, Rendon tore ligaments in his right ankle that required surgery to repair. Then, in July of 2010 with Team USA, he suffered a severe ankle break on the basepath. 

He's had other injury troubles as well, causing him to fall to the Nationals at pick No. 6 in the 2011 draft. Many believed he would be a top three pick, but teams were scared off by his injury history.

Last season as a junior at Rice, Rendon was forced to be the designated hitter for a majority of the games because of a strained muscle in his right shoulder.

It's probably too early to worry, as there's been no official word on how long he'll be out. If it's as bad as Ladson reported, Rendon may be out a while.

It doesn't look good for the young prospect, and the Nationals are hoping that it only requires a few days' rest to fix.