Greg Fiume/Getty ImagesManager Dave Martinez announced Saturday that Washington Nationals slugger Kyle Schwarber has suffered a "significant right hamstring strain" and will likely miss a significant amount of time.Schwarber was removed from Friday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers because of a second-inning hit. He was then placed on the injured lists Saturday. Schwarber is expected to need more than 10 days before he can return.The Nats are devastated. They rode the left-fielder's bat back into contention to win the National League East title in the last month. The 28-year old set a franchise record by hitting 16 home runs in June, including seven leadoff homers. He was also named National League Player of Month.Schwarber has a.253/.340/.570 slashing through 72 games. This is fourth in baseball, behind Shohei Ohtani (30), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) or Fernando Tatis Jr. (26)This power enabled Washington to overcome a 21-29 starting record and put together a 19-9 record for June. The Nats were 2.5 games behind New York Mets to be first in the NL East on Saturday.Schwarber is not the only one to have a strained Hamstring this season. Gabe Lacques, USA Today, noted June 3:Stan Conte, a former trainer for the Dodgers, Giants, stated that there were 104 soft-tissue injuries in May. This is a 160% increase on the 48 in the first two months of 2019, and Stan Conte now runs Conte Sport Performance Therapy in Arizona. He also consults with multiple MLB franchises as well as the league office."Hamstring injuries are on the rise, and they are already the most serious in baseball. They are up 193% from 2019 with 47 IL stints compared 16 through May 2021."Schwarber's departure means that the Nats will be dependent on Gerardo Paarra, although they may seek additional help from other sources.Schwarber's power is unrivaled. His June record proved that his presence was vital to the team’s success.
