Former St. Louis Cardinal now playing for the Washington Nationals, may be sidelined until around the All-Star break as he recovers from a broken nose, according to Spencer Nusbaum of *The Washington Post*. Nationals manager Dave Martinez mentioned that it could be about a month before DeJong is cleared to resume any baseball activities. The injury occurred on April 15, when DeJong was struck in the face by a fastball from Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller.
The day after his injury, DeJong was moved to the 10-day injured list and hasn’t returned to action since. According to Jon Heyman of the *New York Post*, the 31-year-old underwent surgery on April 28 to repair his sinuses and orbital plate. Manager Dave Martinez commented, “Hopefully we get him back around the All-Star break, but it’s all about healing now—we’ll have to wait and see.” Last season, DeJong hit 24 home runs between the White Sox and Royals but also recorded a career-high 156 strikeouts in 445 at-bats. The Nationals signed him to a one-year, \$1 million contract in February. Before the injury, DeJong was struggling offensively, posting a .204/.246/.278 line with just two walks and 24 strikeouts in 57 plate appearances. In his absence, José Tena has filled in at third base, batting .261 with five RBIs over 15 games. The team might also consider promoting top prospect Brady House, who is hitting .292 with five homers and 16 RBIs for Triple-A Rochester.