Washington Nationals reliever Sean Doolittle had an MRI Saturday morning revealing a stress reaction in his left foot, and there currently is no timetable for his return — though this type of injury is generally measured in weeks, not months, he said.
Doolittle said his foot felt sore while throwing off the mound Saturday, preparing to work back from a toe injury that placed the All-Star on the disabled list July 10. It stayed sore “for a while afterwards,” and the MRI, his second since the initial injury, revealed what he compared to a bone bruise.
On Sunday, before the Nationals played the Atlanta Braves, Doolittle was back in a walking boot and disappointed about the setback at a critical time of the season.
“It’s go time. The season’s kind of in the balance right now,” Doolittle said. “It’s a helpless feeling not being able to be in the bullpen with these guys and get on the field, so I’m trying to channel as much of that frustration as I can. I’m driving those guys crazy back there in the training room, trying to find every little thing that I can do to get back as soon as I can.”
Initially, Doolittle joked before about the toe injury and his “fragile ego.” But it didn’t diminish how painful it was. The stress reaction generally takes a week or two to appear on an MRI.
“I have a little bit more peace of mind now because we saw something on the MRI,” Doolittle said. “It was much, much more conclusive than the first one was. … We have a better idea how to treat it, what to do, where to go from here.”
Doolittle said they were making progress, but it was slower than they anticipated. That triggered the second scan.
He can walk on his foot, so he can stay fit during the now-extended recovery. Doolittle said he can do certain exercises in the weight room and can throw either on one foot or his knees.
“I’m not just going to whither away in this [boot],” Doolittle said.
If he overworked the area, it could develop into a stress fracture with a longer timeline of recovery.
“I guess that’s a silver lining,” Doolittle said. “We were able to catch it before it became something serious.”
This injury heightens the importance of the addition of Kelvin Herrera from Kansas City in June. The former closer helps cover for Doolittle’s absence, manager Dave Martinez said.
“He’s going to be down until this thing heals, ’cause it won’t get any better until then,” Martinez said. “He’s really bummed out about it and I am too. He’s going to be missed. But this is the reason we went out and got Herrera. So, with Herrera, [Ryan] Madson, [Brandon] Kintzler, we’ll be fine. We’ll miss him, but you know, we’ve got qualifying guys down here that can close.”
Washington did have a six-man bullpen until Sunday, a combination unlikely to last very long, especially as Nationals starters struggle to go deep into outings. But the Nationals traded outfielder Brian Goodwin to Kansas City Sunday for Jacob Condra-Bogan, a minor league pitcher, and they recalled reliever Sammy Solis to the majors, adding one more arm.
Doolittle has a history with shoulder injuries, primarily as a member of the Oakland Athletics. He said it’s important not to overcompensate during his rehab and cause an issue elsewhere in his body.
Doolittle is used to foot discomfort during spring training, but not of this severity. It could make him rethink his delivery or add cushion to his cleat.
“The timing of it, more than anything, is what’s frustrating,” Doolittle said. “I don’t know if there’s a whole lot we could’ve done to prevent it, so I’m trying not to think too much about that right now and then focus on everything I can do to make this recovery process go as smooth as possible.”
• Andy Kostka can be reached at akostka@washingtontimes.com.
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