WASHINGTON -- The injuries continue to mount for the Nationals. Outfielder Michael Taylor hurt his left thumb in the fifth inning on Saturday when he stole second base against the Marlins, according to two baseball sources.
Bryce Harper was at the plate when Taylor slid headfirst into second base against Marlins left-hander Wei-Yin Chen. Taylor was in pain after the play, while head athletic trainer Paul Lessard checked on the injury. But Taylor stayed in the game and went 2-for-3.
Taylor had an MRI exam on his thumb Sunday morning to check if there was any ligament damage, but the results were not revealed as of early Sunday afternoon.
Taylor's injury comes at a bad time. He is showing signs of life with the bat, going 5-for-8 in his last three games to raise his batting average to .231. It remains to be seen if he makes the postseason roster. The first game of the National League Division Series starts Friday at Nationals Park.
Taylor's injury is the third to hit the Nats this week. Catcher Wilson Ramos tore his right ACL and is out for the season, while Jayson Werth missed most of this weekend against the Marlins because of back tightness. That injury is not considered serious.
Ryan Zimmerman is dealing with a calf injury, but he is expected to be ready for the postseason. Koda Glover, who's on the postseason roster bubble, hasn't seen action this week because of hip issues.
Worth noting
Before Saturday's game against the Marlins, Nationals right-hander A.J. Cole dropped the appeal of his five-game suspension and began serving it. Cole served two games of the suspension this season, and three will carry over to the 2017 regular season.
Cole was suspended because he almost hit Pirates infielder Jung Ho Kang with a pitch last Sunday and was ejected from the game. The benches and bullpens cleared, resulting in Pirates left fielder Sean Rodríguez being ejected from the game. Cole denied that he was trying to hit Kang, saying the scouting report said to pitch him up and in.
The pitch came after Kang's fake tag deked Harper. Pittsburgh never came close to making a play, and Harper hurt his thumb sliding awkwardly into the bag. But he was back on the field in four days.