SAN DIEGO -- Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman attempted to take some swings on Thursday but felt the same pain in his right shoulder that has kept him out of the lineup since Saturday.

With the team headed to Los Angeles for a weekend series against the Dodgers, Zimmerman will visit a physician at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic and likely receive another cortisone shot in the affected area.

Zimmerman had a similar treatment on Saturday, but the pain still lingered, indicating that the shot may have missed the sore area. Zimmerman said if he does receive another shot, more care will be used to ensure the injection is effective.

"They got it in there," Zimmerman said of the first shot. "It was obviously inflamed, so the joint was pretty tight. I think if they do another one, or if they do a short shot, they'll do it with ultrasound to make sure they get it all the way in there, and make sure the medicine gets where it's supposed to be."

Manager Davey Johnson said the team would prefer to wait to see how a second treatment works before putting Zimmerman on the disabled list.

"I think our doctors feel like [the DL is] probably the best course to ensure that he recovers," Johnson said. "But, we're in the season. If he's going to be better, two days after the treatment or something. We'll just have to wait and see after tomorrow."

Zimmerman added that the Nationals' league-best record allows for some patience with his recovery.

"It's frustrating," Zimmerman said. "Hopefully it will continue to get a little bit better. It's a lot easier to take your time when you're 14-4. It's just frustrating because you work hard all offseason to keep your body feeling great, and then you run into something like this where you can't really do anything."