Washington Nationals: Breaking News, Rumors & Highlights

Nationals Unveil Strange Starting Lineup for Opening Day Matchup Against Cubs

The Washington Nationals will get their 2026 season underway at 2:20 p.m. ET on Thursday against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. The date and time had been known, then the Opening Day starter was revealed.

Features

The Morning Bark

The Quiz of the Day

Final thoughts before the Washington Nationals season kicks off

The Washington Nationals season begins in a matter of hours, so I wanted to share some finals thoughts before the games begin. While expectations are not high in the nation’s capital, there is still plenty of intrigue.

Washington Nationals News / Washington Nationals on SI / March 26

High-Upside Nationals Prospect Could Start 2026 Back in Rookie Ball

When looking at the farm system of the Washington Nationals, one of the major things that stands out is how many talented infielders they have at the lower levels of the minors.

Washington Nationals News / Total Apex Sports / March 25

Washington Nationals Staring In The Face Of Another Dismal Season

In 2019, the Washington Nationals completed the improbable of bringing to Washington D.C. its first World Series championship. It was an incredible story and there had to be some belief that the franchise’s future was bright and rosy.

Pete Crow-Armstrong News / Yardbarker Quizzes

The 'Youngest MLB 30/30 seasons' quiz

How many of the MLB players to hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases in the same season before turning 25 years old can you name in five minutes?

The 'MLB 30/30 Club members' quiz

The 'MLB active hit leaders' quiz

The 'Last 100-RBI season by MLB team' quiz

Washington Nationals News / Washington Nationals on SI / March 25

Nationals Set Their Starting Rotation for Opening Series Against Cubs

The 2026 Opening Day roster is finalized for the Washington Nationals. There weren't a ton of surprises when it came to the make-up of this 26-man group based on all the camp cuts and minor league options that occurred over the course of spring training.

Athletics News / Yardbarker

One storyline to follow for every MLB team in 2026

As Spring Training opens for 2026, all 30 teams have high hopes and big questions. These are the storylines to follow for each team heading into Opening Day.

Red Sox to sign former Yankees relief pitcher ahead of Opening Day

MLB announces 80-game suspension for Johan Rojas

Mets star gets help from former teammate after clubhouse issues

Three comeback arms to watch in National League East

Five X factors in the AL Central

Washington Nationals News / Washington Nationals on SI / March 25

3 Biggest Storylines to Follow During Nationals' First Month of MLB Season

The Washington Nationals will take the field for their 2026 season opener against the Chicago Cubs on March 26 at Wrigley Field, and they now have the Opening Day roster set.

Washington Nationals News / Federal Baseball / March 25

The Dan Kolko era begins in the Washington Nationals booth

Entering 2026, there is a lot of newness to the Washington Nationals. From the front office, to the coaching staff, to many of the players on the roster, there are a lot of new faces.

Washington Nationals News / Washington Nationals on SI / March 25

Nationals Officially Announce Their 2026 Opening Day Roster

The Washington Nationals have finalized their 2026 Opening Day roster. It was a winding journey to get to this point, with an offseason full of trades, waiver claim additions and multiple veteran minor league signings.

Washington Nationals News / Federal Baseball / March 25

3 College Hitters Washington Nationals Fans Should Be Keeping Their Eyes On

Yesterday, I released my first college plus high school big board of the 2026 MLB Draft cycle, which you can find here. My college rankings were what shook up the most in the process of updating my board, as through 6 weeks of NCAA play, we’ve seen some players rise to the occasion and break out, and some have taken a step backwards.

Washington Nationals News / Washington Nationals on SI / March 25

Nationals Are Figuring Out What Positions Their Young Infield Prospects Will Play

With the 2026 season set to get underway, what will be showcased on the major league diamond is not the only thing that's significant when it comes to this Washington Nationals organization.

MLB News / Washington Nationals on SI / March 24

Nationals Make Another Trade With Yankees to Acquire Veteran Utility Man

The Washington Nationals have made another trade with the New York Yankees as they get ready for Opening Day on March 26. After first acquiring Jorbit

Athletics News / Yardbarker

25 MLB players that could be traded during the 2026 season

The 2026 MLB season is right around the corner, and it is never too early to start thinking about how it might unfold. Seemingly, every year, we have a decent handle on who should contend and who is likely to struggle, which makes looking ahead to the trade deadline inevitable.

Washington Nationals News / Federal Baseball / March 24

The Washington Nationals are overflowing with infield prospects in the lower minors

The Washington Nationals have an interesting and exciting problem to figure out in the lower levels of the minor leagues. They have so many quality infield prospects and need to find a way to get all of them on the field.

Griff McGarry News / Washington Nationals on SI / March 24

Nationals Officially Return Rule 5 Draft Pick Griff McGarry Back to Phillies

Well, it was a short-lived time with the Washington Nationals for Griff McGarry. As their first-round pick of the 2025 Rule 5 Draft in December, it seemed like the Nationals got a steal when they poached the right-hander away from the Philadelphia Phillies.

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

The 'Youngest MLB 30/30 seasons' quiz

The 'Active MLB 3+ 30-homer seasons' quiz

The 'Receiving-record by NFL team' quiz

The 'Most 5-three-pointer NBA games' quiz

Washington Nationals News / Washington Nationals on SI / March 24

Nationals Hopeful Their Horrendous Spring Offense Won't Continue in Regular Season

Spring training has come to an end for the Washington Nationals. Because a new era was ushered in this offseason, there was some excitement surrounding the franchise.

Josiah Gray News / Federal Baseball / March 24

Washington Nationals RHP Josiah Gray suffers a devastating injury set back

In a really sad piece of news, the Nationals announced that Josiah Gray has been placed on the 60-Day IL with a Flexor Strain. This is a crushing setback for Gray, who has missed pretty much all of the last two seasons due to Tommy John.

Josiah Gray News / MLB Trade Rumors / March 23

Josiah Gray Diagnosed With Flexor Strain

Nationals right-hander Josiah Gray has been diagnosed with a flexor strain, the team announced. He has been placed on the 60-day injured list and will miss at least the first two months of the season.

Cionel Perez News / Washington Nationals on SI / March 23

Nationals Reportedly Make Important Roster Decision Regarding Cionel Perez

The Washington Nationals are getting closer to finalizing their Opening Day roster. On Monday, it was announced that oufielder Christian Franklin and right-hander pitcher Orlando Ribalta had both been optioned to Triple-A Rochester.

Washington Nationals News / Federal Baseball / March 23

Can the Washington Nationals offense get going as the regular season begins?

If you have been watching the Nationals at all this spring, you would know that the offense has struggled. When you look at the box scores, most of the players OPS numbers begin with a 4, 5 or 6.

Washington Nationals News / Washington Nationals on SI / March 23

Nationals Option Another Top 30 Prospect to Minors in Latest Roster Move

The Washington Nationals have been meticulously trimming the size of their MLB camp down as they get closer to finalizing the Opening Day roster. That has included the surprise options of players many expected to be with the big league team when they face the Chicago Cubs on March 26.

Cionel Perez News / MLB Trade Rumors / March 23

Nationals To Select Cionel Pérez

Left-handed reliever Cionel Pérez has been informed that he’s made the Nationals’ Opening Day roster, reports Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com. Pérez is in camp as a non-roster invitee, so the Nats will need to open a 40-man roster spot in order to formally add him to the club.

Washington Nationals News / Federal Baseball / March 23