Werth homers in Class A rehab game

PHILADELPHIA -- It looks like Nationals left fielder Jayson Werth is a step closer to the Major Leagues, as his home run in the bottom of the fourth inning helped Class A Potomac defeat Lynchburg, 1-0, on Saturday afternoon.

Werth hit a pitch from right-hander Adam Plutko over the left-field wall. Werth -- who had surgery on his right shoulder in January -- went 1-for-2 with a walk. In the second game of the doubleheader against Lynchburg, he was the designated hitter and went 0-for-2 with a walk.

"[Werth] came out of the first game great, and he feels good about it," Nationals manager Matt Williams said. "Those are all positive signs. It's good news. He is starting to get into the flow of games. We are excited about that."

Williams said there is a possibility Werth could return to the Nationals on Monday, but the team wants to see how he feels after Saturday. Werth will take Sunday off, and the Nationals will then decide whether he joins them or continues his rehab assignment.

In other injury-related news, reliever Casey Janssen was upset that he wasn't allowed to throw on Saturday, according to Williams. The news comes the day after Janssen started his throwing program. To the Nationals, it was a good sign that Janssen's right shoulder is getting better.

"That's part of the protocol," Williams said. "You throw and then you take a day [off] and you get some work and some strength. You throw again -- that will happen the first few times as he goes day to day. But the fact that he was not happy because he couldn't throw, it's a really good sign. It means he feels good after yesterday."