Jordan Zimmermann sat out the All-Star game because of a lingering neck injury that’s bothered him for months and then struggled yesterday in his first start of the second half, failing to make it out of the third inning in the shortest start of his career.
However, afterward the Nationals right-hander insisted to James Wagner of the Washington Post that the injury isn’t to blame for his coughing up seven runs while recording six outs:
It was just one of those days where nothing was working. The neck feels awesome. I threw when I was home a little bit. When I was back, I had a few days to throw. I had plenty enough time to throw and get ready. But the command wasn’t there.
Zimmermann went 10 days between starts, which probably helped the neck injury and hurt his command. According to Wagner even manager Davey Johnson “feared that Zimmermann’s struggles were because his neck was acting up again” before being told otherwise.
