Guzman's Shoulder: 'Red Flag'

VIERA, Fla., March 15 -- On Feb. 2, Washington Nationals General Manager Jim Bowden signed veteran shortstop Royce Clayton, and the idea was clearly to motivate Cristian Guzman, the incumbent starter who suffered through a miserable 2005 season. On Wednesday, Guzman boarded a flight to Cincinnati to get a second opinion on what increasingly looks as if it might be a serious shoulder injury, and Clayton started the Nationals' Grapefruit League game at shortstop, a position he just may man on Opening Day.

Guzman, who turns 28 next Tuesday, had bursitis diagnosed in his right shoulder last Friday, and he hasn't played since. The decision to send him for an evaluation by Timothy Kremchek, a regular medical consultant for the Nationals, is a "red flag," Bowden said, an indication that Guzman might not be ready for several weeks.

"You get a second opinion, doesn't that intellectually mean anything to you?" Bowden asked. "Honestly, you don't have to be a GM to know that it's a concern to go get the other opinion."

Guzman's injury might actually help make a decision the Nationals would have grappled with had he remained healthy. Clayton, 36, hit .270 with a .320 on-base percentage and 44 RBI in 143 games with the Arizona Diamondbacks last season. Those numbers might not be stellar, but they are far superior to those of Guzman, who needed a sizzling September to hit .219, raise his on-base percentage to .260 and drive in 31 runs, the worst numbers for any regular shortstop in the majors.

Guzman declined to comment on his injury before he flew to Cincinnati.

"You don't like that," Manager Frank Robinson said. "It's not the best scenario, but it's not the worst. We're going to wait and see what the diagnosis is. . . . Still, for him, he still has time [to be ready for the April 3 opener]. It would be close, let me put it that way."

Clayton, for now, will be doing the revving up, though he said emphatically that Guzman's health would in no way change the way he prepares for the season. He went 1 for 3 Wednesday in a 8-5 loss to the New York Mets to leave his average at .206 in 12 spring training games.

"I've started how many games? Over 1,800 games at shortstop?" Clayton said. "What differently can I possibly do?"

Bowden said that this is exactly the reason the team signed Clayton. Last year, when Guzman strained his hamstring and was unable to play for a time (though he never went on the disabled list), the Nationals felt utility man Jamey Carroll couldn't play shortstop every day.

"We had to make a choice financially, either Clayton or Carroll," Bowden said. "And it was a tough decision. . . . Last year, we didn't feel comfortable playing Carroll when Guzzy went down. Based on what we just went through, if we had a choice between the two, we better take Clayton so we're protected at shortstop."

Clayton's contract, which isn't guaranteed, calls for him to make $1 million if he makes the team and contains $250,000 in incentives based on how many games he plays. Carroll's contract, in turn, was sold to the Colorado Rockies, bringing the Nationals $300,000 and saving Carroll's $700,000 salary -- giving them the $1 million they would owe Clayton. Even Robinson, Carroll's greatest supporter in the organization, said signing Clayton was "a good move."

"You have a quality, major league shortstop" as a backup, Robinson said. "We didn't have that last year."

Even after all this time in the majors, Clayton has looked spry in camp, particularly in the field. He said he learned a long time ago, when he met his wife -- former Olympic sprinter Samantha Davies -- that taking care of his legs would prolong his career. He spends much of the offseason running 200-meter sprints and working on keeping his bursts of speed.

"I kind of came to the reality as long as my legs are under me, I'll be fine to go out there," Clayton said. "I think my offseason conditioning on the track really helps that."

And if Clayton were to play well, there's a chance Guzman -- who will earn $12.6 million over the next three years -- could have a tough time getting his job back.

"You'd have to have a pretty good track record" to automatically keep a job following an injury, Robinson said. "Let me put it that way: I'm not saying [Guzman] hasn't established himself to that extent, but I don't think he has earned that quite yet."