Nationals outfielder James Wood is headed to the 10-day injured list. Washington’s star slugger suffered a “subtle, mild oblique strain,” manager Blake Butera said Tuesday.
The team is hopeful that Wood’s absence will be brief.
“The fact that I heard the doctor had to really look for it to find it is a good thing,” Butera said before Wednesday’s game against the Phillies.
Wood, 23, left Tuesday’s loss against Philadelphia after feeling discomfort in his side following a seventh-inning groundout.
“I went back to the field after the [at-bat], so it was fine doing all that stuff,” the two-time All-Star told reporters after the game. “But I tried taking a couple swings to see where I was at, and I didn’t really feel comfortable going on with it.”
His absence creates a massive hole in Washington’s high-powered offense. The former first-round pick leads the majors in runs. His 30 home runs and .393 on-base percentage rank first among Nationals, as well.
The team already weakened its lineup by trading away infielders Curtis Mead and Luis Garcia Jr. over the past two weeks.
Triple-A outfielder Andrew Pinckney will take Wood’s spot on the Nationals roster. The 25-year-old has posted a .271 average with 13 homers in 94 games with Triple-A Rochester this season.
Washington entered Tuesday’s game in Philadelphia with a 55-59 record after a six-game losing streak. The Nationals trail the Phillies by 5½ games for the National League’s final wild-card spot.
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