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Young on DL; Zimmerman To Be Recalled
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Sunday, July 20, 2008
ATLANTA, July 19 -- Unable to stabilize his diabetes, Washington Nationals first baseman Dmitri Young was placed on the 15-day disabled list after Saturday's 8-2 win over Atlanta. In Young's place, the Nationals will recall third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, who was able to rehabilitate a shoulder injury without surgery.
The swap means that Washington loses one middle-of-the-lineup corner infielder and gains another. The team's excitement for Zimmerman's return -- he will rejoin the team Tuesday, when the Nationals begin a series in San Francisco -- is neutralized by concern for Young, who missed the last two games with a spiked blood-sugar level.
Young, who has known about his diabetes since November 2006, was pulled from Friday night's lineup before the game and arrived at Turner Field on Saturday still complaining of light-headedness. Friday night, Young was examined by Braves team physician Brooks Lide, who indicated that if Young got his blood-sugar level in check, he would be fine. In part because Young cannot predict how much time he'll need to recuperate, though, the team sent him back to Washington to meet with his doctor.
"This is all new to me, and we'll take the necessary steps," Young said before leaving the stadium Saturday night. "That's the thing with diabetes. It's a monster. Just got to keep learning."
Zimmerman, meantime, is a welcome addition, having been out of Washington's lineup for eight weeks. Only last week did he lose his team home run lead. Zimmerman is in the second part of a two-stop rehab stint, playing with both Class A Potomac and Class AAA Columbus. He had five hits in his first 17 at-bats. Manager Manny Acta said that Zimmerman would play for the Clippers on Sunday before meeting the Nationals on Tuesday.
Langerhans Heats Up
As a rookie with Atlanta in 2005, Ryan Langerhans batted .267. When he felt his mechanics drift, he asked teammate Chipper Jones for help. Jones told the rookie to imagine that his back leg had a rod stabilizing it. Now, thanks to another adjustment -- this week, he shortened the stride of his right leg -- Langerhans is again feeling comfortable at the plate. With two more doubles Saturday, he is 4 for 7 since the all-star break.
