The scoreboard outcome of last night's Phillies-Nats series finale was an enjoyable 9-3 in favor of the invaders, and Cole Hamels and Bryce Harper put on a fun show that has continued to stoke the flames of a new rivalry this morning (see Nats GM Mike Rizzo's comments on Cole here) -- “I’ve never seen a more classless, gutless chicken [bleep] act in my 30 years in baseball." -- but a painful moment for Jayson Werth put a damper on the night for [most] fans of both sides.
While attempting to make a sliding catch on a Placido Polanco fly in the sixth inning, Werth jammed his hand hard into the grass, his wrist bulging visibly above the joint area as his weight followed [screencap below].
Werth is said to have a clean break of the wrist, obviously landing him on the DL for awhile.
Still holding on to first place in the East, Washington already has Michael Morse, Ryan Zimmerman, Mark DeRosa, and Adam LaRoche on the shelf, though Zimmerman appears ready to return soon, and LaRoche is only listed as day-to-day.
Closer Drew Storen has been out since April 11 after surgery to remove a bone chip, and Brad Lidge had a sports hernia repair on April 30. Chien-Ming Wang is also working his way through rehab for a hamstring strain.
Dealing with a pair of significant injuries of their own all season, the Phillies are 4.5 games back of the Nationals and currently in last place in the East. A pair of wins in DC rather than a pair of losses would have drawn them a game closer, but if anything, the night was a reminder of how much can change on any given pitch in the long season still ahead.
I think most Phils fans would agree we'd rather catch and surpass the Nationals with Werth in their lineup, and we hope he recovers fully and as quickly as possible. WFC.
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