Ryan Zimmerman's impending return to the Nationals' roster isn't a problem; it's a gift.
I love to dig in the earth. After misplacing my best shovel, I've been using a pickaxe and a small shovel for several months. Yesterday, I found that shovel. I can now dig a whole lot faster and more efficiently. I don't have to worry about a complaining pickaxe. It knows the shovel helps us as a group.
Make no mistake, Zimmerman makes his club better. He has the strongest and longest track record of any player on the Nationals' roster, having accumulated more than 35 WAR in D.C. He has produced a 120 wRC+ over his career. Although he's been banged up this season, when he's actually been healthy enough to play, he's been even better. It's fair to expect him to be, at minimum, a productive offensive player.
When a player of Zimmerman's caliber is restored to the roster, he should help you win. Manager Matt Williams will have a dependable tool with which to construct lineups on a nightly basis. The Nationals now have more depth on their bench, whether that be Zim or whoever sits that day. He will certainly take somebody's plate appearances, just as somebody will continue snatching some of what were once his.
That scenario is far from problematic. Baseball analysts might be preparing for questions implying otherwise, but the only thing the Nationals need to do is remind their players that egos and hurt feelings have no place in a pennant chase.
As the Nats sprint toward October, it will be all hands on deck. The more capable hands, the better.
