Nationals' Romero breaks hand in freak staircase accident

Washington Nationals left-hander Seth Romero will surely be a little more careful on stairs going forward.

Romero, one of the Nats' top pitching prospects who recently made his MLB debut, was placed on the injured list Monday after breaking his non-throwing hand when he fell on some stairs over the weekend.

The 24-year-old told the team he tried to brace his fall on the staircase and that led to the break, according to MASN's Mark Zuckerman. By the time he arrived at the ballpark for Sunday's game, his right hand was swollen and some quick exams confirmed the injury.

"I feel bad for the kid, 'cause he worked diligently to get here," manager Dave Martinez said Monday. "He's young, and he's a big part of our future. ... Hopefully, this is just a minor setback for him, and as soon as he heals, we'll get him back here."

Romero, the Nats' first-round pick (25th overall) in 2017 and No. 11 prospect, according to MLB.com, reached the majors last week after missing the 2019 season following Tommy John surgery. While he's struggled early - posting a 13.50 ERA with five strikeouts and three walks across three relief appearances - losing him is still huge for the Nationals, as Romero was the team's only active southpaw reliever.

In a corresponding move, Washington recalled left-hander Ben Braymer from the team's alternate training site. Braymer, the organization's No. 24 prospect, posted a 4.53 ERA in 26 starts last year split evenly between Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Fresno.