Jayson Werth Could Return to Washington Nationals Next Tuesday

The Washington Nationals are in the midst of an impressive season, which has been primarily achieved without their ideal lineup. Right fielder Jayson Werth, a big piece of the injury puzzle, is nearing a return, which may come as early as July 31, to the big-league club.

Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post reports that Nationals manager Davey Johnson is hopeful that Werth could rejoin the lineup when the Nationals return home to face the Philadelphia Phillies. “I imagine he’s going to be getting close by the time we get back to D.C. I’d be surprised if he wasn’t there waiting on us,” Johnson said.

Johnson is leaving the decision up to Werth as to when to return to Washington, stating, "He'll tell me... He's got it all mapped out."

The plan for Werth, upon his return, will be to rotate him in center field with Bryce Harper. 

Werth has been recovering from a broken wrist, which he sustained on May 6. Through Wednesday, Werth has played in three games between High-A and Triple-A, combining to go 1-for-9 with three strikeouts. Although the numbers are not impressive, it is more important that Werth works on his timing after sitting out for so long.

Werth will be a significant part of this team when he returns. He is another player that can step up to improve this offense. Ryan Zimmerman's resurgence has aided the Nationals, and Werth's return can only help.

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