Washington Nationals

Connelly Early

SP

The southpaw threw 30 pitches in a bridge league game Tuesday, so he could be ready to handle around 40-to-50 during his upcoming appearance with Harrisburg. Early has yet to make his Nationals debut after being acquired from the Red Sox in July, but he may be able to join the big-league club before the end of the season if all goes well Sunday. Over 17 starts for Boston prior to being shut down with elbow inflammation, Early delivered a 3.44 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 93:34 K:BB through 91.2 innings.

Nasim Nunez

2B

Nunez's playing time has begun to dwindle after collecting just three hits in 39 at-bats across his last 15 games. He'll now miss out on the starting nine for the third time in four games while CJ Abrams starts at shortstop and Jorbit Vivas mans second base.

Drew Millas

C

Millas had a procedure in July when he first suffered the injury, but he'll undergo another one Friday because the finger didn't heal as hoped. It will be the third surgery the catcher has had on the finger since last August. There's no word on a timeline for Millas' rehab, but he should be healed well before spring training.

Orlando Ribalta

RP

Ribalta landed on the injured list Monday with forearm inflammation, but the results of his tests confirmed that he isn't dealing with a structural issue. The Nationals will now shift their focus to making sure the 28-year-old gets enough time to rest and recover, and with the team well outside of the hunt for a postseason berth, there's no guarantee he pitches again this season.

Matt Waldron

RP

Waldron was claimed off waivers from Toronto on Saturday, and he's now set to make his Nationals debut in the first inning of Wednesday's contest. The 29-year-old righty owns an unsightly 7.54 ERA and 1.62 WHIP through 37 innings in the majors this season and will likely pitch just an inning or two before coming out of the game.

Josiah Gray

SP

It's been a long time since Gray was able to make a contribution for the Nationals, as his last major-league action came April 4, 2024. Since then, he's undergone Tommy John surgery in July of that year, endured a lengthy rehab that only began to ramp up last September, and then dealt with a right flexor strain that cropped up this spring. Gray was able to begin a new rehab assignment at Single-A Fredericksburg in mid-August but has been limited to short outings, working his way up to Double-A Harrisburg on Wednesday and tossing a shutout inning. It's still not clear if the Nationals have any plans to take him off the 60-day IL and find a spot for him on the 40-man roster before the end of the season, but at the very least Gray seems to be on his way to wrapping up the campaign in good health.

Richard Lovelady

RP

Lovelady was making his first appearance since he suffered a left triceps strain in late June. The lefty reliever could need another rehab outing or two, but he's close to rejoining the Nationals' bullpen.

DJ Herz

SP

After Herz underwent Tommy John surgery in April 2025 and then suffered a left flexor strain in late June, the Nationals have been having him ramp up slowly since he started up a new rehab assignment earlier this month. Through three outings between Single-A Fredericksburg and Harrisburg, Herz has yet to permit a run, but he's been limited to one, two and two innings in those appearances. The 33 pitches he threw Thursday marked a new high total for Herz, but he'll likely need to push that count up to the 70-to-80 range before becoming a viable option for the Washington rotation.

PJ Poulin

RP

Poulin had been on the shelf since July 19 due to a left flexor strain, and his move to the 60-day IL ensures that he'll remain out through Sept. 13. The southpaw's move to the 60-day frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for one of Yovanny Cruz and Jake Bird, two of the four players the Nationals acquired Sunday in the deal that sent Luis Garcia to the Yankees.

Mitchell Parker

RP

Parker moved to the 60-day IL at the start of the month after being diagnosed with a Grade 3 UCL sprain, and the procedure will officially keep him out for the remainder of 2026 and most, if not all, of the 2027 campaign, as well.

Ken Waldichuk

RP

Waldichuk posted a 6.75 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in 9.1 innings over his five relief appearances with Washington before landing on the injured list April 13 after suffering a left forearm injury. The southpaw received a couple of medical opinions in the week following the injury and ultimately decided to undergo Tommy John surgery for the second time in just under two years, after he previously had the procedure in May 2024. Waldichuk also underwent a flexor tendon repair as part of the operation.