By Barry Svrluga
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, May 9, 2008

HOUSTON, May 8 -- In the offseason, the Washington Nationals spent $6.25 million to acquire free agent catchers Paul Lo Duca and Johnny Estrada. On Friday they plan to put both players on the disabled list -- Lo Duca with a broken bone in his right hand, Estrada with a ligament problem in his right elbow -- and turn the regular catching duties over to the man they think will hold the position for years to come, Jesús Flores.

The club will also activate outfielder Elijah Dukes, who strained his right hamstring Opening Night and hit .211 in a 13-game rehabilitation stint with Class A Potomac and Class AAA Columbus. Dukes was to be the Nationals' fourth outfielder originally, and Manager Manny Acta said he would return to that role.

Lo Duca fractured the fourth metacarpal bone in his right hand fouling off a pitch Wednesday night. Coming into the season, the 36-year-old had only been on the disabled list once in a major league career that began in 1998. This will be his second stint on the disabled list this season, both because of the hand. He is expected to need four to six weeks to recover. Throw in a rehabilitation stint, and he might not be back till early July.

"It's tough," Lo Duca said, "especially coming to a new ballclub and not being able to play and get a chance to show that I can play."

Lo Duca, who was hitting just .200 and hadn't thrown out any of the 10 base runners who stole against him, said he believes there was a problem with his hand before the bone ultimately broke Wednesday. "I just topped it off," he said.

Estrada has been bothered by his right elbow ever since offseason surgery -- a procedure he now regrets. "At this point, I wish I never had surgery," he said. "My arm hurts worse than it did before."

There is no timetable for Estrada's return. That leaves the Nationals with Flores, who was hitting .153 with one homer and seven RBI for Class AAA Columbus, and Wil Nieves as the backup. Flores hit .244 for the Nationals as a rookie Rule 5 draftee in 2007.

"He's been catching well," Acta said. "His numbers offensively, they're not there, obviously, but it's no big deal. He's been working hard."