What had been expected for some time became official Monday afternoon, when Nationals manager Davey Johnson announced that infielder/outfielder Michael Morse, outfielder Rick Ankiel, pitcher Chien-Ming Wang, and reliever Drew Storen would all start the season on the disabled list.
According to Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post, Johnson is looking to have both Morse and Ankiel available for the first home series of the year, which begins April 12 against the Cincinnati Reds. Morse is continuing to recover from a lat strain that limited his time at the plate this spring, while Ankiel is dealing with a tight left hamstring.
As for the pitchers, Storen threw off a mound Saturday morning for the first time since disclosing that he was suffering from elbow inflammation. Wang is recovering from a strained left hamstring suffered on March 15.
The announcements mean that the Nationals' Opening Day roster will include free agent signings Brett Carroll and Chad Tracy, young infielder Steve Lombardozzi, and veteran Xavier Nady, who signed with the Nationals as a free agent in March.
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