VIERA, Fla. — Washington Nationals right-hander Casey Janssen will have an MRI exam on his right shoulder on Monday, according to manager Matt Williams.
Janssen was originally scheduled to appear in Saturday’s game against the New York Mets but did not pitch. Williams said he has had “a little trouble getting loose” since his last outing Monday against the New York Yankees.
“The last time out he had a little issue getting as loose as he wanted to get,” Williams said. “So we’ll see where he’s at.”
Earlier Sunday, Janssen was asked about his absence and described the soreness as minor inflammation. He said he is not overly concerned about the injury.
Janssen signed a one-year contract with the Nationals this winter after spending the first eight years of his major-league career with the Toronto Blue Jays, where he spent most of the past three seasons as the closer. He had appeared in six games so far this spring, allowing six hits and three earned runs in six innings of work.
Williams said he might have results of the MRI after Monday’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals. It’s unclear whether the 33-year-old will be ready by Opening Day.
“Relievers are different because they don’t need as much time, but I want to make sure that he’s feeling good about it and he’s able to do everything he wants to do,” Williams said. “We’ll see what the tests reveal.”
• Tom Schad can be reached at tschad@washingtontimes.com.
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