Washington Nationals reliever Ryan Mattheus was scheduled to have an MRI Monday afternoon to determine the severity of a chest injury he sustained.
Team doctors told Mattheus they believe he has irritation in a joint on the inside of his right pectoral muscle. Mattheus initially felt pain in his chest after recently throwing a bullpen session. The team then shut him down from throwing.
“It’s just kind of a bizarre thing,” Mattheus said, according to the Washington Post. “I don’t feel it really just walking around. But if I take big deep breaths, or cough or sneeze, or anything like that, it grabs me. It’s just in a weird spot.”
The MRI results will also reveal an accurate timetable for how long Mattheus will be out. He is competing for a spot in the Nationals’ bullpen.
“They don’t think it’s anything real, real serious that’s not going to go away or linger for a couple months,” Mattheus said. “That’s the good part. But we don’t know exactly.”
Mattheus had a 6.37 ERA last season and was out nearly two months with a broken hand he sustained punching a locker.