The former St. Louis Cardinal now with the Washington Nationals, is expected to be sidelined until around the All-Star break as he recovers from a fractured nose, according to The Washington Post‘s Spencer Nusbaum. Nationals manager Dave Martinez stated that he may need about a month before resuming baseball activities. The injury occurred on April 15, when he was struck in the face by a 93 mph fastball from Mitch Keller of the Pittsburgh Pirates, resulting in a cut on his nose and below his left eye. He was placed on the 10-day injured list the next day and hasn’t returned to action since.
Paul DeJong, 31, underwent surgery on April 28 to repair damage to his sinuses and orbital plate, as reported by The New York Post’s Jon Heyman. “Hopefully we get him back sometime around the All-Star break,” Martinez said. “Right now, it’s just about letting him heal.”
Last season, DeJong played for the White Sox and Royals, hitting 24 home runs but also striking out 156 times in 445 at-bats. The Nationals signed him to a one-year, $1 million contract in February. Before his injury, DeJong was struggling offensively, posting a .204/.246/.278 slash line with 24 strikeouts and just two walks in 57 plate appearances.
In his absence, José Tena has been filling in at third base, hitting .261 with five RBIs over 15 games. The Nationals may also consider calling up top prospect Brady House, who is off to a strong start at Triple-A Rochester, batting .292 with five home runs and 16 RBIs.