That’s the most predictable headline of the spring so far, isn’t it?
Nationals manager Jim Riggleman told Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post on Sunday that right-hander Chien-Ming Wang showed progress in a recent bullpen session but has no chance of breaking camp as a member of the club’s 25-man roster. He’s still recovering from that major shoulder surgery that he underwent back in mid-2009 and won’t be back to full health for several more weeks.
Here’s more from Riggleman, via the Post.
“For a starting pitcher, there’s no way we’ll get him stretched out,’ Riggleman said. “Until [pitching coach] Steve McCatty tells me there’s not only progress, but consistent progress for a couple progress for a couple weeks, then we’ll think about that. You can’t get too high or low about a bullpen session.”
With this winter’s $1 million contract included, the Nationals have now committed $3 million to Wang and been given exactly zero innings in return. He hasn’t pitched in a big league game since July 4, 2009.