Ryan Zimmerman exits early with thumb injury - MLB

Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman exited Saturday night’s game against the Braves after jamming his hand diving back into second base on a pick-off attempt in the top of the fifth inning. Zimmerman had doubled to put runners at second and third with one out, but Braves starter Alex Wood was able to catch him straying too far off the bag. James Wagner of the Washington Post says it looked like Zimmerman jammed his finger and there was some visible blood.

With Zimmerman out of the game, Anthony Rendon moved over to third base, and Danny Espinosa entered to take over at second base.

Zimmerman has already been dealing with an arthritic shoulder and can’t seem to catch a break after tonight’s scare.

Follow @CrashburnAlley

CINCINNATI — The Los Angeles Dodgers placed pitcher Noah Syndergaard on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a blister on the index finger of his right throwing hand.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the timetable for Syndergaard’s return is unknown despite the 15-day designation.

“The physical, the mental, the emotional part, as he’s talked about, has taken a toll on him,” Roberts said. “So, the ability to get him away from this. He left today to go back to Los Angeles to kind of get back to normalcy.”

Syndergaard allowed six runs and seven hits in three innings against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night, raising his ERA to 7.16.

Syndergaard (1-4) has surrendered at least five runs in three straight starts.

Syndergaard has been trying to return to the player he was before Tommy John surgery sidelined him for the better part of the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

Roberts said Syndergaard will need at least “a few weeks” to both heal and get away from baseball and “reset.”

“I think searching and not being comfortable with where he was at in the moment is certainly evident in performance,” Roberts said. “So hopefully this time away will provide more clarity on who he is right now as a pitcher.

“Trying to perform when you’re searching at this level is extremely difficult. I applaud him from not running from it, but it’s still very difficult. Hopefully it can be a tale of two stories, two halves when he does come back.”