Nationals get best possible injury update on key reliever PJ Poulin

Before the Washington Nationals began their series with the Colorado Rockies on Monday, they announced an injury update that didn't look great on the surface.

Left-hander PJ Poulin, who has done everything from opening games to closing them, was placed on the 15-day injured list due to a flexor strain. Knowing that those injuries can be a precursor for Tommy John surgery or the internal brace procedure, both Poulin and the Nationals were hoping that the MRI would show there was no damage to his UCL.

Thankfully, according to Jessica Camerato of MLB.com, the MRI came back clean and showed that there has not been any damage done to his UCL and that he just has a flexor strain like his original diagnosis stated.

PJ Poulin Now Expected to Make His Return Later This Season

"Obviously, your mind goes some places," he said, per Camerato. "But now that we've got the MRI and we know exactly what it is, I guess it definitely puts my mind at ease that it could have been worse."

Washington's mind is also at ease with this update. Poulin has been a key part of their bullpen, as he owns an ERA of 2.70 across 35 appearances (11 starts). He's also gone 3-for-5 in save opportunities and he has recorded seven holds. To add additional context to how good Poulin has been this season, his ERA+ of 159 is same as Foster Griffin's, who has been one of the best starting pitchers in the majors this year.

Now, because there is no damage to Poulin's UCL at this moment, he's expected to be back pitching for the Nationals in two to six weeks. If his return date is on the latter end of that projection, then he would be back roughly around the end of August.

Nationals Later Evaluating to See When He Can Return to Baseball Activities

Per Camerato, the left-hander will remain with Washington on this road trip until they return back to D.C. following their finale in Colorado on July 22. They have an off day on July 23, so that's when he'll be further evaluated by the training staff to see when he can return to baseball activities.

It should be noted that Poulin was placed on the 15-day IL retroactive to July 16, so theoretically he could be back for the Nationals at the end of this month. However, due to the nature of this injury and the fact that he needs to give his throwing arm some rest, it seems likely that he'll be on the shelf until at least the midpoint of August.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/nationals/onsi as Nationals Get Best Possible Injury Update on Key Reliever PJ Poulin.