Zimmerman heating up as Nationals brace for rugged 11-game road trip

Apr 4, 2014; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman (11) doubles against the Atlanta Braves during the fourth inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

With a rugged 10-game road trip awaiting them, the Washington Nationals can lean on the way Ryan Zimmerman is swinging the bat as a positive.

Zimmerman, who missed more than 2 1/2 months with plantar fasciitis before returning to the lineup late last month, is riding a seven-game RBI streak during which he's knocked in nine runs.

The 30-year-old first baseman went deep twice in Sunday's 6-4 loss to the Colorado Rockies - his first multi-homer game of the season and first three-hit contest of the year. Zimmerman is 10-for-29 in August, lifting his batting average to .227.

"He's swinging good," Washington manager Matt Williams said. "Glad to have him back. Glad to have him swinging well. He's driving the ball, he's taking base hits when the situation calls for it, so yeah, I like where he's at."

Keeping the RBI string going will be a tough task for Zimmerman, with the Los Angeles Dodgers lining up Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw to pitch Tuesday and Wednesday versus the Nationals, who trailed the first-place Mets by 1 1/2 games in the National League East.

"We have the Dodgers, then four in San Francisco. That's a tough week," Zimmerman said. "We need to battle and do what we can -- I don't want to say to stay within striking distance -- but stay right there in that range."

(h/t Washington Post)