Nationals catcher out with shoulder injury

WASHINGTON, June 3 (UPI) -- A stress fracture inside his right shoulder could end the 2009 season of Washington Nationals catcher Jesus Flores.

He originally suffered the shoulder injury May 9 against the Arizona Diamondbacks, and suffered a setback this week during a rehabilitation stint with Harrisburg (Pa.), the team's Double-A Eastern League affiliate.

The Nationals said on their Web site Tuesday that Flores will miss at least three months, but surgery is not required at this time.

The stress fracture was determined by team doctor Wiemi Douoguih and confirmed by noted orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala.

"It's a minimum of three months," acting general manager Mike Rizzo said. "It could possibly be for the rest of the season. It's a bad day for the organization. It's not a devastating injury (but) it's going to take time to heal. Once it heals, we should have him at 100 percent."

Flores is batting .311 this season with four home runs and 15 RBI.