Anthony Rendon's injury will have him sidelined longer than he anticipated.
The Nationals third baseman will begin the season on the disabled list, manager Matt Williams said Wednesday. Rendon sprained the medial collateral ligament in his left knee three weeks ago, and it's taking him longer to heal than expected.
“There’s nothing structurally wrong with [Rendon's knee],” general manager Mike Rizzo said, via The Washington Post. “It’s something that if taken care of the right way with rest and the right physical therapy and rehab should be a non-issue for him long-term.”
Chances are, outfielder Jayson Werth will also miss the opener since he is still recovering from shoulder surgery.
“As of right now, we don’t think he’s going to be available for opening day,” Williams said of Werth. “If he gets to the point where he says, ‘I’m good to go,’ we trust him to let us know the truth. As of right now, if we were to start today, he would not be on the opening day roster.”
At the moment, there isn't a timetable for Rendon's return, but Rizzo isn't too concerned about the player being sidelined for a long time.
Rendon is expected to be at Nationals Park on opening day with Werth and Denard Span, who also will start the year on the DL as he recovers from a muscle core injury.