Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman was a late scratch Tuesday in what was termed a “manager’s decision” by a team spokesman.
The spokesman said Zimmerman might be available to pinch-hit. Chad Tracy is starting at third base in his place.
Zimmerman’s absence bodes well for Roy Halladay to continue his dominance of the Nationals. He’s 11-0 with a 2.09 ERA against the franchise since last losing to the Expos on June 28, 2002.
CSN Washington’s Mark Zuckerman points out that the Nationals used the “manager’s decision” term once before this season when they scratched Jayson Werth due to what was eventually revealed to be a migraine headache.