Cordero, Estrada will travel for rehab

[BronxBomberz]

Nationals closer Chad Cordero and catcher Johnny Estrada are going to Viera, Fla., to continue their rehab assignments starting on Tuesday. Cordero said he expects to be at the team's Spring Training complex for at least two weeks. He is expected to have bullpen sessions starting Tuesday and simulated games after that. Cordero hasn't played a Major League game since April because of a tear in his shoulder adductor, but he now says that he doesn't feel any pain in the area. Cordero said he hopes to be playing in a Major League game by late June. As for Estrada, he has been on the disabled list since May 9, but he started throwing the baseball every other day since Tuesday. Like Cordero, Estrada hopes to be off the disabled list by late June. Estrada acknowledged that he is thinking about his job status with the team once he is activated. Paul Lo Duca will be activated soon and Jesus Flores has done well as a starter. Estrada said Flores deserves to play because of his hot hitting. In fact, Flores' emergence reminded Estrada of when he was with the Phillies. As a rookie, Estrada was given a chance to play because of an injury to Mike Lieberthal in 2001. "The kid deserves to play," Estrada said of Flores. "He is worthy of getting 400-plus at-bats with the way he has handled himself. Those things are out of our control. You see what we do, which is play. We'll leave it up to [the front office] to make the decision." Meanwhile, Ryan Zimmerman is expected to be re-evaluated on Monday. He is on the disabled list because of a small tear in his left shoulder. So far, he has been told to rest. Left-hander Odalis Perez, who is missing Sunday's start because of left shoulder tendinitis, said there is no need for an MRI and he hopes to pitch on Friday against the Mariners. "Since I haven't thrown from a mound in three or four days, I don't feel any pain at all," Perez said. Ryan Wagner, who has yet to play a game this season because of shoulder surgery, had a bullpen session on Saturday and didn't have any problems. He will have a simulated game on Monday.

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