News On Johnson Not Good

The Nationals were awaiting word on how Nick Johnson's surgery went on Tuesday, but when word came down, it wasn't good.

In what's becoming an annual press release, the Nationals announced that first baseman Nick Johnson would miss the remainder of the season. Johnson, who injured his wrist swinging on May 13, underwent surgery in Minnesota on Tuesday and Dr. Richard Berger announced that he had found a small split tear in the ligament on the ulnar side of Johnson's wrist. In layman's terms; worst case scenario.

Even with the bad news, the surgery went well and Johnson is expected to be ready for Spring Training, but will come in much the way he did this past spring, with a lot of question marks next to his name. Johnson missed all of last season after breaking his femur in September of 2006. It was thought that his latest injury would keep him out four to six weeks, but the potential was there for bad news, and it came.

"It's been tough," said GM Jim Bowden, who has also seen third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, closer Chad Cordero and right fielder Austin Kearns go down to injuries. "It's a tough year for all of us with this ballclub with injuries. Obviously it's a setback. It's disappointing."

Johnson traveled to see Berger on Monday when his wrist wasn't healing the way the Nationals had hoped. Berger decided that he needed exploratory surgery to fully diagnose the injury, but warned of his suspicions.

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