Koda Glover Placed on DL by Nationals with Back Injury, Joe Blanton Activated

The Washington Nationals placed closer Koda Glover on the disabled list Sunday, a day after he injured his back in the shower.

Pete Kerzel of MASN Sports reported the news, noting the Nationals also activated Joe Blanton. 

Glover, 24, is 0-1 with a 5.12 ERA and 1.24 WHIP this season, recording eight saves in 10 chances. He gave up two runs and blew his second save Saturday after failing to inform the team that he'd suffered a back injury while in the shower.

“I was taking a shower, bent over to get my body wash, stood up and had a little kink,” Glover said, per Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post. “With some issues I’ve had lately I kind of pushed myself. I didn’t want to take a day off. I’ve had three days off already, so I pushed the limits today, tried to pitch through it.

"And it’s one of them things where it was out of my control and I should have said something early. I didn’t and now my back’s in pretty bad shape.”

Glover's eight saves are a team high for Washington, which has spent all season dealing with issues in the bullpen. The Nationals have blown 10 saves as a team and previously used Shawn Kelley and Blake Treinen in the closer role. Kelley and Treinen have both struggled mightily this season, so Dusty Baker might be forced to slot Matt Albers into the ninth inning for now.

Albers has been by far the Nationals' most effective reliever all season, giving up just three earned runs in 25 innings pitched.