Nats outfielder Michael Morse could miss the first half of the season after aggravating the injury to his lat muscle that's kept him sidlined for weeks.
Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post reports that Morse, who had been expected to return to the lineup today for the team's home opener, reinjured his lat in a minor-league rehab game. As a result, GM Mike Rizzo says Morse will be in "total shutdown mode" for at least the next month-and-a-half.
Last season, Morse enjoyed a breakout campaign: a .550 slugging percentage (good for fourth in NL) along with 31 homers and 36 doubles (good for ninth in the NL on both counts). For a Nats offense that ranked just 11th in the NL in wOBA -- and for a Nats team that aspires to contend in the balanced NL East -- this is a grave blow.
So did Bryce Harper's timetable for reaching the majors just get bumped up a bit?
