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"&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt; Ryan ZImmerman has experienced pain while making throws from third base. (G Fiume/Getty Images)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman's persistent shoulder problems have affected his throwing and made\u00A0Nationals fans anxious since he began having issues in early 2012. Manager\u00A0Matt Williams removed Zimmerman from Saturday's\u00A0game against the Braves after a\u00A0wild throw to first, and the team opted to take another look at the shoulder.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;An ensuing MRI did not detect structural damage, but the presence of inflammation caused the Nats to place Zimmerman on the disabled list. On Monday night, Williams provided some insight into the cause of\u00A0his third baseman's throwing woes: arthritis.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;While answering fans' questions on 106.7 The Fan\u2019s \u201CChalk Talk\u201D \u2014 Williams revealed Zimmerman is suffering from an arthritic shoulder:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;From&lt;strong&gt;\u00A0&lt;/strong&gt;the interview:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u201CBut we have to look at Ryan, though, and say \u2018Would I like Ryan to play third?\u2019\u201D Williams said. \u201CYea, I would. For a long time? Yes. But the fact of the matter is, Ryan\u2019s got an arthritic shoulder.\u201D&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u201CIt gives him problems, and sometimes it\u2019s tough on him,\u201D he said. \u201CSo we\u2019ve started to do some things at first base, with him, where we can give him a break sometimes, in that regard, so he can go play first; he enjoys playing first; we did a little bit at spring training, worked hard at the position, and he enjoys it over there.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u201CSo it gives us options, it gives him an option to go play first when his shoulder\u2019s bothering him, or he needs a day, his legs need a day from playing third, or whatever it is. Those options are always there. So, do I see him moving to first? Yea, from time to time, but I would like him to be our third baseman for a long time. We have to take into account his shoulder, too. And that\u2019s a concern. It\u2019s a concern of his; it\u2019s a concern of everybody else. We\u2019re going to have to give him a break sometime.\u201D&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;\u201CWe look at it and say, it\u2019s a little bit of overload,\u201D Williams said. \u201CWe have to curtail that just a touch to make sure that he feels good. What does that involve? Maybe it doesn\u2019t involve as many throws. Maybe it\u2019s cutting down on the amount of grounders he takes in pregame. I know that he looks to go down, especially when it\u2019s cold, in the cage and throw. Maybe it\u2019s an adjustment to that, too.\u201D&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;SI.COM STAFF: MLB Power Rankings&lt;/strong&gt;\nZimmerman underwent arthroscopic shoulder surgery in November 2012. He'd relied on a series of cortisone shots to stay in the lineup, after injuring his shoulder earlier that season. He played in 147 games in 2013, but committed 16 throwing errors. Zimmerman is currently in the first season of a six-year, $100 million contract extension.&lt;/p&gt;"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.si.com/si-wire/2014/04/08/ryan-zimmerman-arthritic-shoulder>