Barrett OK after minor knee injury

By Bill Ladson

May 13, 2014

PHOENIX -- Reliever Aaron Barrett is OK to pitch for the Nationals if needed Tuesday against the D-backs. On Monday, he entered the game in the seventh inning and stretched his patella tendon in his right knee while throwing a pitch to Paul Goldschmidt.

Manager Matt Williams and athletic trainer Lee Kuntz came to Barrett's aid, but Barrett stayed in the game and pitched one shutout inning. After the inning ended, Barrett was seen limping into the dugout.

Barrett did not get an MRI on the knee. All he did was put ice on it. The injury is nothing new to Barrett. It happened while he was pitching for Double-A Harrisburg last year.

"[The trainers] say when I pushed off the mound, my knee hyperextended," Barrett said. "… I felt sharp pain. After two more pitches, I really didn't feel it. I just tweaked it a little bit. It should be fine."

Bill Ladson is a reporter for MLB.com and writes an MLBlog, All Nats All the time. He also could be found on Twitter @WashingNats.