Duran ready to pitch after avoiding serious leg injury

WASHINGTON -- What a difference a day makes.

A sigh of relief can be heard from Phillies faithful everywhere as All-Star closer Jhoan Duran said he is “100 percent” after enduring a comebacker that struck his right ankle and leg late in Friday’s 6-2 win over the Nationals.

Duran exited following his fourth pitch to Nats’ third baseman Paul DeJong in the ninth inning. A cart was brought out because the right-hander was unable to put any weight on the ankle.

Duran, acquired from the Twins at the July 31 Trade Deadline, went through his pregame routine on Saturday with no hitches, 13 hours after he had to leave the mound.

“I did play catch and I feel better than yesterday,” Duran said. “That's good news for me. I don't feel nothing [bad today]. It's crazy. Yesterday, I don't have power in my leg and now I'm normal, like nothing happened."

Manager Rob Thomson said Saturday that he was reassured after X-rays came back negative, saying that the hot shot off of DeJong’s swing hit nerve instead of bone, preventing a more significant injury.

"The X-rays were clean, so now they feel like when it hit his ankle, it hit a nerve and then he kind of got ‘dead foot,'” Thomson said. “He actually walked out to the bus pretty good. Then he came in normal [today]."

The skipper said he would not be hesitant to use Duran in a save situation on Saturday, but that situation never came as the Phillies lost to the Nationals, 2-0, on Saturday at Nationals Park.

"Yeah, good to go,” Thomson said. “So, save only tonight. I don't like guys going more than four days off. So last night was actually strong [with Tanner] Banks and Duran. It worked out good until he got hit."

The Phillies wanted to get Duran in the game Friday because he had not pitched in four games since August 10.

"For me it's good because I don't like too many days [of] not throwing,” Duran said. “When I have too many days of not throwing I feel like I lose my control. I don't like that. It's good for me yesterday throwing in the game."

Unfortunately, Duran was not the only injury situation the Phillies had to deal with this weekend, as president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski announced postgame that right-handed starter Zack Wheeler will be placed on the injured list with a right upper extremity blood clot to the shoulder area.

"He is going to be further evaluated back in Philadelphia,” Dombrowski said. “There will be more information going into the week."

Phillies head athletic trainer Paul Buchheit said Wheeler felt “a little heaviness” in his shoulder after Friday’s start against the Nationals.

“Zack had been feeling better after his right shoulder soreness,” Buchheit said. “But yesterday, some symptoms had changed. Doctors were great in helping to diagnose and expedite that diagnosis this morning."