Zimmerman gets 1,000th career hit

DENVER -- Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, bad shoulder and all, picked up his 1,000th career hit on Tuesday night against the Rockies, a one-out single to right in the fifth inning of a 12-5 victory.

Zimmerman entered the game needing two hits to reach the milestone. The 27-year-old cranked a broken-bat double to center field in the third-inning to draw within one. A sixth-inning home run to left field -- his third of the year, and 1,001st career hit -- was the exclamation point.

Zimmerman is the seventh player to record his 1,000th career hit in a Washington uniform, and the first do do so exclusively with the Nationals. In his eighth big league season, he's also the Nationals' all-time leader in runs, doubles, homers, RBIs and games played.

"Obviously it's meaningful any time you can do anything like that," Zimmerman said. "It's something I'll look back on and hopefully have a lot more."

Right shoulder inflammation put Zimmerman on the 15-day disabled list on April 21. He was activated on May 8, but has played through pain most of the season. He was injected with a cortisone shot on Sunday, which has helped alleviate the pain.

Here's a breakdown of Zimmerman's 1,001 career hits:

• 629 singles, 226 doubles, 14 triples, 132 home runs.

• 741 hits against right-handed pitchers, 260 against lefties.