Baker stands by struggling Zimmerman: 'He's a carrier'

Dusty Baker doesn't plan on sitting a slumping Ryan Zimmerman.

The Washington Nationals slugger is batting an abysmal .213/.269/.368 this season - all career lows - but the skipper is still confident in his abilities.

"See, this guy is a carrier," Baker told MASN's Mark Zuckerman. "There are carriers and there are helpers. And a helper can help you for so long, but a carrier can carry you a week to 10 days."

Baker said that although he's been giving him days off along the way, all it takes is for Zimmerman to get hot at the plate to get his groove back.

"You’ve seen him, right? A couple weeks would be all we need, especially at the right time," Baker said. "We're just trying to make some adjustments and help him through this, and keep his confidence."

Zimmerman, who's in the lineup for Monday's game against the New York Mets with Noah Syndergaard on the mound, was placed on the disabled list Aug. 1 with a left wrist contusion. Since his return on Aug. 15, he's slashed .179/.207/.269 with two homers and 23 strikeouts in 21 games.