PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — After leaving Friday’s game in the third inning with soreness on his left side, Ryan Zimmerman said he felt better Saturday and does not expect to miss more than a couple of days.
Zimmerman landed awkwardly while diving for a grounder in the first inning and felt the soreness during his at-bat in the bottom half of the frame. When asked about the location of the soreness, he pointed to his upper back, behind his left shoulder.
“It feels better today,” Zimmerman said. “It’s just kind of precautionary. I did it and still took my at-bat. There’s just no reason to grind out two or three more at-bats. It was the third day I was playing in a row. Just to kind of be on the safe side.”
Zimmerman was already scheduled to take Saturday off. While a large contingent of players traveled to Port St. Lucie, he stayed at Space Coast Stadium to receive treatment. Manager Matt Williams said Zimmerman will not require an MRI or any other tests.
“I talked to him this morning. He said he’s okay. He’s feeling fine,” Williams said. “Worst case scenario, I think it’s a couple of days. But I think he’ll be okay.”
Zimmerman missed 99 games in 2014 after breaking his right thumb and later straining his right hamstring. The 30-year-old has spent this spring transitioning to first base, and he still fully expects to start there on Opening Day.
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“I just thought it was the smart thing to do, to not have to go out there and play seven innings on it now,” Zimmerman said. “I feel good with where I’m at. If I need to take a couple days off to make sure it’s fine, then that’s fine because I’ve had a lot of at-bats and I feel like I’m ready to go.”
• Tom Schad can be reached at tschad@washingtontimes.com.
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