One of the top young players in MLB finds himself on the IL as we enter the final month-and-a-half of the regular season. Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood is on the shelf for the first time in his major league career as he has an oblique strain on the left side.
Below, we will dish out an injury update on Wood, and look at when he is expected to return.
James Wood injury update: When will Nationals outfielder be back?
Wood exited the Nationals’ August 3 game against the Phillies as he felt discomfort on a swing.
“[The MRI] showed a subtle, mild oblique strain on the left side,” Nationals manager Blake Butera told Jessica Camerato of MLB.com. “We think it won’t be very extreme. But we do think it will take at least the 10 days, which is why we’re IL-ing him.
“I was actually pretty happy [with the diagnosis],” Butera continued. “Anytime someone feels their side on a swing, I haven’t been around many where the results came back this good. There’s some obliques that people have missed 3-4 months because of these things.”
Mild oblique strains typically take 2-4 weeks to recover from. Wood, who is on the 10-day IL, is eligible to return this Friday, August 14.
Considering the minimum for a return from a mild oblique strain is typically 2 weeks, it is likely that the Nationals wait a few extra days to bring Wood back into the fold. A return on Tuesday, August 18 in Texas against the Rangers would make a lot of sense.
Here is a look at the Nationals’ schedule around the time that Wood is expected to be back in the Washington lineup.
- Friday, August 14: Nationals at Mets
- Saturday, August 15: Nationals at Mets
- Sunday, August 16: Nationals at Mets
- Tuesday, August 18: Nationals at Rangers
- Wednesday, August 19: Nationals at Rangers
- Thursday, August 20: Nationals at Rangers
- Friday, August 21: Nationals at Marlins
- Saturday, August 22: Nationals at Marlins
- Sunday, August 23: Nationals at Marlins
- Monday, August 24: Rockies at Nationals
At just 23-years-old, this is Wood’s first stint on the MLB injured list.
James Wood odds
Wood was +6500 to win the National League MVP award at the start of the season at Fanatics Sportsbook.
The Olney, Maryland native is having a strong season at the dish, as he has 30 home runs and 73 RBI on the year. The 30 dingers is fourth in the NL, behind only Matt Olson, Kyle Schwarber, and Hunter Goodman.
Nationals odds
The expectations for the Nationals entering the 2026 MLB season were rock bottom as Washington was tied with the Rockies and White Sox for the longest World Series odds at +50000. Nearly five months later, those odds remain the same as the Nats still have that +50000 price tag.
The Nationals are 59-61 on the season and are 13 games behind first-place Atlanta in the National League East. Butera’s club is 4.5 games out of the final Wild Card spot in the NL.
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