Nationals catcher Ivan Rodriguez remains on the disabled list with a strained right oblique muscle. Running, catching and throwing doesn’t bother Rodriguez all that much. But swinging the bat still produces a tug in his side and that’s not good.
Washington manager Davey Johnson said the training staff relayed to him that Pudge’s pain threshold was about a 4 out of 10. Before it was around 6 or 7 out of 10 so some improvement. But not enough to begin a minor-league rehab assignment yet.
“He’s close to being able to test it further,” Johnson said. “That’s something that you want him not to feel a little tug or pain. Because when those muscles are tight like that that’s the danger of a violent swing and maybe getting severely injured. We’re treating that with kid gloves.”
Rodriguez was originally hurt while taking batting practice during a series against Chicago last month. After tonight’s game against the Atlanta Braves he will have missed 21 games in a row and 22 of 23 with just one pinch-hit at-bat since July 5. Any kind of setback now could mean six-to-eight weeks back on the disabled list, especially if there’s any kind of tear. That would just about be the end of Rodriguez for the 2011 season.
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