Washington Nationals News, Scores, Status, Schedule
Nationals' Jose Ferrer: Managing lat injury
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Ferrer is dealing with a lat injury, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
Ferrer has pitched in just one exhibition game over the past two weeks, and his injured lat explains why. It's unclear when Ferrer will be ready to get back to making consistent appearances, but manager Dave Martinez said the team will know more in a couple of days.
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Nationals' Jake Irvin: Nearly perfect Wednesday
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Irvin allowed only one hit and zero walks over five scoreless innings in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins. He struck out five.
Facing a Miami lineup that features most of its likely Opening Day starters, Irvin delivered a dominant 52 pitches (43 strikes) as he built up ahead of Opening Day. The 27-year-old right-hander has a somewhat stunning 16:2 K:BB through 12.2 spring innings, but considering he managed only an 18.7 percent strikeout rate against a 10.2 walk rate over 121 innings for the Nationals last season, he'll need to keep producing good numbers when the games start to count before he'll draw significant interest from fantasy GMs.
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Nationals' Carter Kieboom: Outrighted to Triple-A
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Kieboom cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Rochester by the Nationals on Wednesday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Kieboom is somehow still just 26 but has never come close to cashing in on the hype he had as a prospect. The fact that he passed through waivers unclaimed shows that the Nationals aren't the only organization down on his long-term outlook. Kieboom should play regularly at Rochester in hopes of earning his way back on the 40-man roster.
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Nationals' Hunter Harvey: Dominant start to spring
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Harvey struck out two over 1.1 perfect innings of relief in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets.
The right-hander set career highs with 57 appearances and 60.2 innings in a mostly heathy 2023, and Harvey responded with a 2.82 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 28.5 percent strikeout rate to go along with 10 saves and 19 holds. He's looked just as dominant this spring, posting a 9:1 K:BB through 5.1 innings, and he's on track for a high-leverage role in the Nationals' bullpen that could see him take over full-time closing duties at some point rather than sharing the ninth inning with Kyle Finnegan.
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Nationals' MacKenzie Gore: Control wavers Tuesday
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Gore allowed one run on two hits and three walks over 5.2 innings during Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets. He struck out two.
Fatigue may have played a factor in the walk total, as Gore didn't issue his first free pass until the fourth inning, at which point he walked Pete Alonso, Ji-Man Choi and Starling Marte to load the bases before escaping the jam with a double play. Control remains the biggest obstacle between the 25-year-old lefty and a breakout campaign after he posted a 25.9 percent strikeout rate against a 9.8 percent walk rate in 2023, and Gore's 9:4 K:BB through 10.2 spring innings suggests he may still have some work to do in that area.
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Nationals' Robert Hassell: Nursing groin strain
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Manager Dave Martinez said Wednesday that Hassell has been diagnosed with a strained groin, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
Hassell suffered the injury during a Grapefruit League game last week. He's not been shut down and will still able to do some baseball activities, but Hassell isn't scheduled to play in any games for a while. Once healthy, the 22-year-old is likely to begin the season at Double-A Harrisburg.
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Nationals' Zach Brzykcy: Optioned to Rochester
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The Nationals optioned Brzykcy (elbow) to Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday.
Brzykcy will head back to the minors after surrendering nine runs across 18 innings during spring training while striking out 18 batters and walking nine. The 24-year-old righty was dominant in Double-A in 2022 with a 1.89 ERA and 1.05 WHIP across 38 frames and didn't allow a run in two Triple-A appearances upon being promoted at the end of the year. However, a forearm strain cost him the entire 2023 campaign, and Brzykcy underwent Tommy John surgery in June to address the issue. If Brzykcy is able to return to his 2022 form at Rochester once he fully recovers from his procedure, he could be a candidate to join Washington's bullpen at some point this season.
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Nationals' Lane Thomas: Running wild this spring
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Thomas went 1-for-3 with a run scored and a stolen base in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.
The 28-year-old is coming off a breakout 2023 that saw him slash .268/.315/468 with 28 homers, 20 steals, 86 RBI and 101 runs in 157 games, but Thomas isn't showing any signs of slowing down in camp. Through 11 Grapefruit League contests he's batting .320 (8-for-25) with one home run and five steals in six attempts. Thomas figures to bat neat the top of the Nationals' lineup again in 2024.
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Nationals' Patrick Corbin: Fans six in bumpy start
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Corbin gave up three runs on six hits and two walks over 3.2 innings in Monday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals. He struck out six.
The Ks were a good sign for Corbin despite the final line, as was the fact that Monday's free passes were his first of the spring. His 16:2 K:BB in 12.1 innings does come with a 5.11 ERA, but the former metric is generally a better sign of how a pitcher is performing in camp. Corbin got stretched out to 74 pitches (45 strikes) and appears just about ready for Opening Day, but given that he hasn't posted an ERA below 5.20 over a full season since 2019, the 34-year-old southpaw is little more than an endgame dart even in deep fantasy formats.
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Nationals' Jesse Winker: Battling for roster spot
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Winker could miss out on a big-league roster spot with the Nationals after the team added Eddie Rosario last week, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.
The 30-year-old Winker looked like a good bet to break camp with the Nats when he signed an NRI deal in February, provided that he was healthy and could re-discover his old form at the plate. He's held up his end up that bargain so far, batting .350 (7-for-20) through nine spring games with two doubles and a 5:4 BB:K, but the Rosario signing likely bumps Joey Gallo from left field to first base and Joey Meneses from 1B to DH, seeming to leave little room for a defensively limited player like Winker.
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Nationals' Alex Call: Comfortable at plate in spring
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Call went 1-for-1 with two RBI and a walk in Monday's 11-4 Grapefruit League win over the Cardinals.
There is no way to sugarcoat Call's 2023 numbers, which included a .200/.307/.307 slash line through 439 plate appearances. However, the versatile outfielder has shown some sparks at the plate this spring, slashing .353/.500/1.088 with seven RBI in 17 at-bats. Call will have to continue performing in similar fashion during what remains of spring to ensure a reserve outfield spot on the Opening Day roster.
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Nationals' Eddie Rosario: Favorite for left field job
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Rosario will get the start in left field during Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Mets, and the 32-year-old is viewed as the favorite to claim the starting job at the position, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.
"I'm really glad he's here," Nationals manager Dave Martinez said Monday after Rosario went 1-for-3 as the DH in his spring debut. "I know what he can do. Just another good left-handed bat, a good defender." Rosario signed a minor-league deal with the team last week and isn't guaranteed an Opening Day roster spot, but his defense and proven bat make him a good fit for a Washington lineup looking for reliable contributors. Over 142 games for Atlanta in 2023, Rosario slashed .255/.305/.450 with 21 homers and 74 RBI.
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Nationals' Joey Meneses: Likely to DH again this season
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Meneses appears set to spend most of his time at DH after the Nationals added Joey Gallo and Eddie Rosario to the roster this offseason, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.
Rosario, who signed a minor-league deal with the team last week, is the favorite to win the starting left field job, which would bump Gallo to first base and Meneses to DH. There are a few complicating factors that cloud the playing-time outlook for Meneses, however. Jesse Winker, also in camp on a minor-league deal, is batting .350 (7-for-20) with a 5:4 BB:K, while Meneses is batting just .214 (6-for-28). Stone Garrett (lower leg) will also need at-bats once he's healthy, and top outfield prospects Dylan Crews and James Wood could also push their way onto the big-league roster over the summer. After a sizzling 56-game MLB debut in 2022, Meneses' production swooned last season, as he managed only a .722 OPS with 13 homers in 154 games. If the 31-year-old can't deliver better numbers at the plate in 2024, he could fall out of a regular role.
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Nationals' Thaddeus Ward: Sent to Triple-A
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The Nationals optioned Ward to Triple-A Rochester on Monday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Ward spent all of last season on the Nationals' active roster or on the injured list after Washington selected him in the Rule 5 Draft, but his 6.37 ERA and 1.61 WHIP over 35.1 innings out of the bullpen suggested that he wasn't quite big-league ready. Now that he's eligible to be optioned to the minors, Ward could end up spending the bulk of the campaign at Rochester, where he'll be a part of the rotation after he was limited exclusively to relief work in the big leagues in 2023.
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Nationals' Dylan Floro: Faces hitters
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Floro (shoulder) recently pitched to hitters in live batting practice, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Floro is expected to throw at least one more live batting practice session before making his Grapefruit League debut. The veteran reliever has been slowed all spring due to right shoulder soreness, but he's still expected to be ready to go for Opening Day.
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Nationals' Robert Hassell: Sent for MRI on injured groin
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Nationals manager Dave Martinez said Hassell (groin) will undergo an MRI on Monday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Hassell tweaked his groin Friday and hasn't made enough progress in the days since to avoid an MRI. The 22-year-old has impressed this spring in slashing .357/.412/.786 with three home runs and is likely headed to Double-A Harrisburg to start the season, once healthy.
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Nationals' Travis Blankenhorn: Cut from big-league camp
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The Nationals reassigned Blankenhorn to minor-league camp Monday.
After slugging 23 home runs and getting on base at a .360 clip with Triple-A Rochester last season, Blankenhorn earned a cup of coffee with the Nationals in September. He proceeded to slash a middling .161/.297/.258 in 37 plate appearances for the big club before being shut down for the final two weeks of the campaign with plantar fasciitis. The Nationals outrighted Blankenhorn off the 40-man roster over the winter, only for the 27-year-old to rejoin the organization on a minor-league deal. Though he attended spring training as a non-roster invitee, Blankenhorn never looked like a serious threat to make the Opening Day roster and will now head back to Rochester.
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Nationals' Jake Alu: Roster bid falls short
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The Nationals optioned Alu to Triple-A Rochester on Monday.
Alu got on base at a .409 clip over 11 Grapefruit League games, but the fact that he has two minor-league options remaining and slashed a pedestrian .226/.282/.289 over a larger sample of 175 plate appearances in the big leagues last season likely worked against him in his bid for a utility role with the Nationals. He should play on an everyday basis while he's with Rochester.
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Nationals' Amos Willingham: Moved to Triple-A
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The Nationals optioned Willingham to Triple-A Rochester on Monday.
Willingham was unable to secure a spot in the Nationals' Opening Day bullpen after he was roughed up for three earned runs on four hits in three innings over his first three outings in the Grapefruit League. The right-hander had little margin for error in the job battle after he languished in a middle-relief role over his 18 outings for the big club during the 2023 season, posting a 6.66 ERA and 1.81 WHIP in 24.1 innings.
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Nationals' Mitchell Parker: Sent to Rochester
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The Nationals optioned Parker to Triple-A Rochester on Monday.
Parker was one of seven players sent out of big-league camp Monday in the Nationals' latest round of roster cuts. The 24-year-old hurler is coming off a stellar 2023 campaign in which he struck out 132 batters over 113.2 innings with Double-A Harrisburg, but he struggled in his late-season promotion to Rochester, as he posted a 10.45 ERA and 2.18 WHIP over 10.1 innings. Parker will look to cut down on the control and command issues in his second go-around at Triple-A in 2024, and if he's able to find success, he could get a look with the Nationals at some point later in the season.
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