Nationals' Ryan Zimmerman was 'hurt enough not to play' during NLDS

A strained right hamstring that sent Washington Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman to the disabled list in July continued to plague him during his team's NL Division Series loss to the San Francisco Giants.

Zimmerman was limited to pinch-hitting duties throughout the series, and believes his hamstring was the reason he didn't start any of the contests, reports the Washington Post's Adam Kilgore.

"Hurt enough not to play," Zimmerman said. "I think if it was good enough, I would have played. We would have maybe found a place to put me. This team was one of the best teams in the month of September. It’s hard to mess with something like that."

Zimmerman was limited to 61 games this season, his fewest since 2005 when he appeared in 20 games as a September call-up. The 10-year veteran still batted a respectable .280/.342/.449, which isn't far off his career line, but questions surrounding his defense and injuries made for a difficult year.

In addition to the hamstring strain, Zimmerman went to the DL in April and missed 44 games with a fractured right thumb. Zimmerman patrolled left field upon his return, splitting time between the corner outfield spot and third base for the remainder of the season.

Kilgore said he expects Zimmerman, a 2009 All-Star, to be the Nationals' first baseman next season, assuming impending free agent Adam LaRoche departs for another club.

Zimmerman, who has played four career games at first, is signed through the 2019 season with an $18 million club option for 2020.