Zimmerman closing in on comeback

Ryan Zimmerman has been a quiet presence in the Nationals’ clubhouse, coming and going and chatting pleasantly, no different from when he is playing every day. It’s just that he hasn’t played in weeks.

“The whole situation is frustrating. It is what it is,” Zimmerman said. “There’s nothing I can do. There’s nothing I could have done differently. Now it’s just a matter of getting things ready.”

The 33-year-old finally seems to be moving toward a return. He and his manager indicated a belief that he will be ready to go on a rehab assignment next week.

“Obviously, it’s not an exact timetable . ... You just don’t know with these things,” Zimmerman said. “It’s frustrating. But the good thing is I have been able to keep up with all my strength and throwing and stuff. So whenever it is good to go, it shouldn’t take too long.”

When he first went on the disabled list, retroactive to May 10, he and the Nationals conveyed the belief that his stint would be short. He had some back trouble; the team officially listed it as an oblique injury.

Even now, swinging lightly does not cause Zimmerman pain. Throwing doesn’t trouble him, either. Running, however, poses a bigger problem than one might expect. The oblique muscles stabilize runners, not so much as they go straight, but when they turn.

“We’re at where we’re at now, we might as well make sure you’re 100 percent. What happens is you come back and oh, you feel it a little bit. Then all of a sudden, I dive for a ball or do something and it’s back,” Zimmerman said.

“Then this whole almost twomonth process is now a waste of time and you have to start all over again.”