Paul DeJong, a former St. Louis Cardinal now playing for the Washington Nationals, may be sidelined until around the All-Star break as he recovers from a fractured nose, according to Spencer Nusbaum of the Washington Post. Nationals manager Dave Martinez noted, “I think now they said about a month before he can actually do any activities.” DeJong sustained the injury on April 15 after being struck in the face by a fastball from Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller.
The day after his injury, Paul DeJong was placed on the 10-day injured list and has yet to return to action. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the 31-year-old underwent surgery on April 28 to repair damage to his sinuses and orbital plate. Nationals manager Dave Martinez commented, “Hopefully we get him back sometime around the All-Star break, but we’ll see. It’s just a matter of healing now.” Last season, DeJong hit 24 home runs while splitting time between the White Sox and Royals but also recorded a career-high 156 strikeouts in 445 at-bats. He signed a one-year, $1 million contract with Washington in February. Prior to the injury, the former All-Star was struggling offensively, posting a .204/.246/.278 slash line with two walks and 24 strikeouts over 57 plate appearances. In his absence, José Tena has filled in at third base, batting .261 with five RBIs across 15 games. The team may also consider promoting top prospect Brady House, who is batting .292 with five home runs and 16 RBIs for Triple-A Rochester.
