Washington Nationals: Breaking News, Rumors & Highlights

Nationals Try to Improve Pitching Staff by Claiming Experienced Reliever Off Waivers

It seems like the Washington Nationals are trying to address their bullpen issues following a massive collapse against the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday night.

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The Quiz of the Day

The Washington Nationals closer by committee experiment has failed spectacularly

This series has exposed the Washington Nationals fatal flaw. They cannot close out games to save their life. Nationals pitchers who come in the game in the 9th inning of a close game feel like fish out of water.

Curtis Mead News / Athlon Sports / June 24

Curtis Mead Has a 135 wRC+ and His xwOBA Confirms Every Bit of It

Curtis Mead is rostered in just 18% of Yahoo! fantasy baseball leagues. While you’ve probably noticed that he was available on your league’s waiver wire, you may have been reluctant to snatch him up based on his .221 BA through his first 64 games.

Justin Lawrence News / Federal Baseball / June 24

Washington Nationals claim hard throwing sidearmer Justin Lawrence off waivers

Clearly, Paul Toboni and the front office knew that they needed to shake up the bullpen in some way. It started with demoting Paxton Schultz for Carson Palmquist.

Cam Schlittler News / Yardbarker Quizzes

The 'Most K's through 30 MLB starts' quiz

How many of the starting pitchers in the MLB Live-Ball Era (since 1920) to strike out at least 180 batters in their first 30 starts can you name in six minutes?

The 'MLB playoff debut strikeouts leaders' quiz

The 'Multiple 30/30 Club MLB seasons' quiz

The 'MLB all-time strikeout leaders' quiz

Luis Perales News / Federal Baseball / June 24

The Washington Nationals should convert Luis Perales into a reliever

As we all know, the Nationals need guys with louder stuff in the bullpen. They rank last in stuff+ and whiff rate among relievers. However, I think they have a potential solution sitting in their Triple-A rotation.

MLB News / Yardbarker

25 MLB players most likely to be traded by the deadline

The MLB Trade Deadline has been quieter in recent years, in part due to playoff expansion, but 2026 is shaping up to be a more exciting one with several big names.

Paxton Schultz News / Washington Nationals on SI / June 24

Nationals Demote Paxton Schultz, Call Up In-Season Trade Acquisition as Replacement

Following a huge meltdown by the Washington Nationals bullpen on Tuesday, the organization decided to shuffle the relief staff once again. The team announced that right-hander Paxton Schultz had been optioned to Triple-A Rochester following Tuesday's contest.

Washington Nationals News / Federal Baseball / June 24

The floor of the Washington Nationals bullpen is incredibly low

With Trea Turner at the plate, Brad Lord and the Washington Nationals were one strike away from completing another emotional win over the Phillies. In what felt like an hour later, Trea Turner came to the plate again in the top of the 9th to single and make it 14-8 Phillies.

MLB News / Washington Nationals on SI / June 24

Nationals' Historic, Gut-Wrenching Loss Against Phillies Highlights Biggest Weakness

The Washington Nationals were one strike away from completing a wild come-from-behind victory over the Philadelphia Phillies that would have ensured at least a series split against their division rival.

CJ Abrams News / ESPN / June 23

Nats' Abrams late scratch with left side tightness...

Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams was a late scratch for Tuesday night's game against Philadelphia due to left side tightness.

Washington Nationals News / MLB Trade Rumors / June 23

Nationals Shut Down DJ Herz With Flexor Muscle Strain

Nationals left-hander DJ Herz suffered a setback in his recovery from last year’s Tommy John procedure. Skipper Blake Butera told reporters (including Byron Kerr of MLB.com) that the southpaw has been pulled off his rehab assignment after suffering a flexor muscle strain.

Foster Griffin News / Federal Baseball / June 23

Washington Nationals ace Foster Griffin spun yet another gem

After the game, Foster Griffin told me, “You are not done until the manager shakes your hand and says you are done”. Last night, that hand shake did not come until one out in the 8th inning.

Athletics News / Yardbarker

25 MLB players who could be first-time All-Stars in 2026

Being named to the Midsummer Classic is one of the biggest honors for MLB players. These 25 players have a chance to make their first All-Star appearance in 2026 based on their first-half performances.

MLB News / Washington Nationals on SI / June 22

How Each Possible Result Could Affect the Nationals in Their Series Against Phillies

The Washington Nationals are coming off their first series loss since the beginning of the month after they dropped two out of three against the Tampa Bay Rays.

DJ Herz News / Washington Nationals on SI / June 22

Nationals Pitcher DJ Herz Suffers Key Injury Setback on Rehab Assignment

There was some unfortunate news for the Washington Nationals revealed on Sunday. Left-handed pitcher DJ Herz, who was scheduled to make a start for Single-A Fredericksburg as part of his rehab assignment, experienced forearm soreness following his last appearance on June 16.

Click here to get Yardbarker's Quiz of the Day emailed to you!

The 'Multi-time NBA MVPs' quiz

The 'No.1 NBA Draft picks' quiz

The 'Most K's through 30 MLB starts' quiz

The 'College World Series winners' quiz

Washington Nationals News / Washington Nationals on SI / June 22

Former Top Prospect Seen as 'Best Trade Bait' for Nationals Ahead of Deadline

The Washington Nationals find themselves in an interesting spot six weeks before the trade deadline. They have a record of 40-38. They entered June 22 a half-game out of the final NL Wild Card spot.

MLB News / Federal Baseball / June 22

Nationals Prepare To Do Battle With The Phillies In Perhaps Their Biggest Series In Years

In a rubber match for the series yesterday afternoon, the Nationals hung around against the Rays, taking a 3-2 lead into the 7th inning, but were unable to hold onto it, as a Jonny DeLuca 2-run blast off Orlando Ribalta in the bottom of the 7th gave the Rays a 1-run lead they would hold onto for the 4-3 win.

Washington Nationals News / Federal Baseball / June 22

Eli Willits is on the road to superstardom, but he has been raised to be ready for this

Five hours before first pitch in Wilmington on the Saturday before Father’s Day, Eli Willits sat down with me in the visiting dugout at Frawley Stadium.

MLB News / Field Level Media / June 22

Homer streaks on line when Phillies visit Nationals

CJ Abrams looks to extend his homer streak to four games when the Washington Nationals open a four-game homestand against the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday night.

Blake Butera News / Field Level Media / June 21

Nationals manager Blake Butera sees defense key to winning vs. Rays

The Washington Nationals will attempt to win their sixth straight road series when they face the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday afternoon in St. Petersburg, Fla.

MLB News / Field Level Media / June 20

Nationals deliver rare victory over Rays

Andres Chaparro dribbled in the tiebreaking run, Washington's bullpen finished with 6 1/3 strong innings, and the Nationals won 4-3 over Tampa Bay to even their series with the Rays on Saturday afternoon in St.

Dylan Crews News / Athlon Sports / June 20

Dylan Crews Is Chasing Too Much and Making the Best Contact of His Career. Both Things Are True.

Dylan Crews is an interesting case in the fantasy baseball world, where his final fantasy verdict varies depending on which number you look at. His surface stats scream at owners to drop him from their rosters.

Shinnosuke Ogasawara News / MLB Trade Rumors / June 18

Shinnosuke Ogasawara Signs With NPB’s Yomiuri Giants

Left-hander Shinnosuke Ogasawara officially signed with the Yomiuri Giants of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball on Thursday. He’d been in Double-A with the Nationals but was granted his release on Monday.

CJ Abrams News / MLB on ClutchPoints / June 18

Braves’ perfect trade offer for Nationals’ CJ Abrams

The injury news has piled up for the Atlanta Braves in the lineup and also on the mound. Therefore, a deal might be in the offing. And here is the Braves’ perfect trade offer for the Nationals’ CJ Abrams.

Julian Fernandez News / MLB on ClutchPoints / June 18

Nationals release former Dodgers pitcher

The Washington Nationals released right-handed pitcher Julian Fernandez Wednesday after he cleared waivers, following his designation for assignment last week and removal from the 40-man roster.

Washington Nationals News / MLB Trade Rumors / June 17

Nationals Release Julian Fernández

The Nationals announced Wednesday that they’ve requested unconditional release waivers on righty Julian Fernández, whom they’d designated for assignment last week.

MLB News / Yardbarker / June 15

Dodgers' Mookie Betts earning All-Star votes despite struggles

When it comes to Mookie Betts' actual production so far during the 2026 season, the Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop is enduring the worst year of his career.

Mookie Betts blows Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s perfect game in unbelievable fashion

Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani eases knee concerns with leadoff HR vs. White Sox

White Sox notch first series victory over Dodgers since 2014 with comeback win

Yankees might have a strong competitor for Aroldis Chapman

The 'MLB playoffs all-time hit leaders' quiz

Foster Griffin News / Yardbarker / June 9

Why Nationals' Foster Griffin merits Rookie of Year consideration

Since returning from Japan and signing with the Washington Nationals this offseason, left-hander Foster Griffin has been worth every penny.

How Mets' schedule could impact if they become sellers ahead of trade deadline

Mets' Kodai Senga problem not going away

The 'Last 30-HR season by MLB team' quiz

James Wood News / Just Baseball / June 8

James Wood Has Become the Offensive Anchor the Nationals Needed

For the better part of the past several seasons, the Washington Nationals have been searching for the foundational pieces of their next competitive roster.