Matt Adams, Matt Wieters and Ryan Zimmerman faced two minor league pitchers in a simulation game at Nationals Park on Monday before the Nationals hosted the Boston Red Sox.
“Got some swings,” Zimmerman said. “Two kids that were gracious enough to come here and throw in 110-degree heat, so it was nice of them to come and give me and the Matts some swings.”
However, Zimmerman doesn’t know what is next for his rehab. He was recently shifted from the 10-day DL to the 60-day DL with a strained oblique he suffered in May.
“Nobody wants to miss games,” he said. “The worst thing is to have to sit on the side and watch these guys kind of battle and grind it out. We obviously want to get back and help as much as we can.”
Wieters injured his hamstring and hit the DL the same weekend as Zimmerman. The main hurdle left for him is running; he caught Jeremy Hellickson’s bullpen session Monday in addition to the simulated game, and was happy with how he reacted to hitting live pitching.
“Each day gets better. It’s just a matter of getting to where we can feel like I can get back to pushing it,” Wieters said. “
Nationals manager Dave Martinez said the game went “really well.”
“Getting these guys really healthy is where I want to be,” Martinez said. “I want these guys to come back fully healthy and ready to go. Hopefully we get them back here soon.”
Martinez said Zimmerman and Wieters did well, but Adams is the closest to coming off the disabled list. The first baseman and left fielder will begin a rehab assignment Tuesday with the Double-A Harrisburg (Pa.) Senators of the Eastern League. Harrisburg hosts Richmond on Tuesday and then plays Wednesday afternoon at the nearby Bowie (Md.) Baysox.
One of the pitchers in the simulated game was lefty Gilberto Chu, 20, who pitched in his third game with the short-season Auburn (N.Y.) Doubledays in the New York-Penn League on Friday.
David Driver contributed to this report.
• Adam Zielonka can be reached at azielonka@washingtontimes.com.
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