After putting together a solid 2014 season, Washington Nationals starting pitcher Doug Fister has struggled to begin the 2015 campaign. His year took another detour Friday after he headed to the 15-day disabled list.
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Fister‘s MRI Comes Back Clean
Saturday, May 16
James Wagner of the Washington Post reported that Fister has a flexor strain that he will rest and rehab. He will then return to the mound when he’s ready.
On May 15, the Nationals announced that Fister would be placed on the DL after suffering from forearm tightness, and highly touted prospect A.J. Cole will be called up from the team’s Triple-A affiliate.
William Ladson of MLB.com added “Doug Fister flew back to D.C. today to get additional test on his right forearm. Matt Williams didn’t want to speculate on how serious the injury is.”
Through seven starts in 2015, Fister is 2-2 with a 4.31 earned run average and 4.70 FIP, according to FanGraphs. James Wagner of the Washington Post wonders whether the injury, in part, explains why the 31-year-old doesn’t look like himself:
While losing Fister obviously hurts Washington, Cole brings with him a ton of hype. MLB.com listed him as the 50th-best prospect heading into this year, and he sat at No. 30 in Baseball Prospectus‘ rankings.
Cole made one start this year, going two innings against the Atlanta Braves on April 28. He gave up nine runs, only four of which were earned, on nine hits.
The Nationals endured a slow start to the year but have since found their footing. They’re just 1.5 games behind the New York Mets for the National League East lead. Perhaps Cole’s arrival will bring better luck this time around and help keep Washington in playoff contention.
Meanwhile, the team will hope that Fister‘s short stint on the DL isn’t a harbinger of a more serious issue to come.
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