Washington Nationals

Paxton Schultz

RP

The appearance was Schultz's first since Feb. 28, after he had missed the final three weeks of the Grapefruit League due to right elbow inflammation. The 28-year-old will likely make at least another rehab appearance or two before returning from the injured list. While the Nationals will likely use him in lower-leverage spots initially once he's activated, Schultz could quickly move his way into a more prominent role if he pitches well early on, given the lack of established options in the bullpen.

Josiah Gray

SP

The 28-year-old was expected to begin the season in Washington's rotation after spending all of 2025 working his way back from Tommy John surgery, but he'll instead open the campaign at Triple-A. Gray has given up just one run with a 5:1 K:BB in 4.2 frames across his two Grapefruit League starts this spring, but the Nationals apparently want to manage his workload early in the season before calling him up to the big club, per Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com.

DJ Herz

SP

It's the first time the left-hander has thrown from the bump since he underwent Tommy John surgery last April. Herz has already been placed on the 60-day injured list, and given where he is in his throwing program, a return around midseason is probably a best-case scenario.

Trevor Williams

SP

Washington had shut down Williams at the onset of spring training when he experienced soreness in his surgically repaired right elbow, but a follow-up MRI apparently revealed nothing too concerning. After a brief rest period, Williams is now in the process of ramping back up again, but a clearer timeline for his 2026 debut with the Nationals won't come into focus until he resumes facing hitters and embarks on what will likely be a lengthy minor-league rehab assignment. At the very least, Williams will remain shelved for the first two months of the season after Washington placed him on its 60-day injured list Feb. 10.

Joan Adon

RP

no

Tyler Stuart

SP

Stuart landed on the 60-day injured list July 14, and further tests on his right elbow revealed UCL damage that required Tommy John surgery. Stuart will miss the rest of the 2025 season, and given the recovery timeline for Tommy John surgery, he'll be out for most, if not all, of 2026.

Jarlin Susana

RP

Susana suffered the injury at Double-A Harrisburg in late August, and it was determined last week that surgery was the best course of action. It's unclear how long the 21-year-old's rehab will take, but it's possible he'll be limited at the start of spring training. Susana posted a 3.51 ERA and 95:34 K:BB over 56.1 innings covering 14 starts between High-A Wilmington and Harrisburg in 2025.

Travis Sykora

SP

Sykora landed on the 7-day injured list at Double-A Harrisburg earlier this month with what had been referred to as triceps soreness, but subsequent testing revealed the need for a UCL repair. It's a huge blow to the Nationals and one of the best pitching prospects in baseball, as Sykora could be sidelined until 2027. The 21-year-old holds a 1.91 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 74:17 K:BB through 42.1 innings in the minors this season.