Nationals outfielder James Wood is heading to the injured list for the first time in his big league career.
After exiting Monday's 6-3 loss to the Phillies following a painful swing, the two-time All-Star underwent an MRI exam that revealed a "subtle" left oblique strain, according to manager Blake Butera.
The Nationals are hoping for a relatively brief IL stint for the 23-year-old Wood, who leads the Majors in runs scored (100) and walks (90) and has a .928 OPS that's more than 100 points better than his previous season high.
The Nationals are expected to call up outfielder Andrew Pinckney in a corresponding move.
Wood felt the discomfort on the final pitch of his seventh-inning at-bat against left-hander Kyle Backhus, which resulted in a ground out to first base. Wood initially remained in the game, but he was replaced by Dylan Crews in the bottom of the eighth.
“I went back to the field after the [at-bat], so it was fine doing all that stuff,” Wood said. “But I tried taking a couple swings to see where I was at, and I didn’t really feel comfortable going on with it.”