Mar 27, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz (20) reacts after hitting a home run during the fifth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Nationals Park Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

Nationals Activate Keibert Ruiz, Place Trevor Williams on IL in Latest Roster Moves

Originally posted on Washington Nationals on SI
By Brad Wakai | Last updated Jul 4, 2025 10:14 AM ET

Coming off an impressive series win against the American League's best team, the Washington Nationals are moving into their weekend series against the Boston Red Sox with confidence.

Not only did they go toe-to-toe with a 54-win Detroit Tigers team, but they came out on top in a matchup that featured many of the game's potential future stars.

Before the Nationals get their weekend series started on the 4th of July, they announced multiple roster moves that featured a change in both the lineup and pitching unit.

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Most notably, Keibert Ruiz is back from the injured list while Trevor Williams has been placed on it.

As corresponding moves, catcher Drew Millas was optioned back to Triple-A Rochester while Ryan Loutos was recalled from there.

The Nationals have announced the following transactions today:

-Placed Trevor Williams on the 15-day Injured List (right elbow sprain)
-Recalled from Ryan Loutos from
Triple-A Rochester
-Reinstated Keibert Ruiz from the Injured List
-Optioned Drew Millas to Triple-A Rochester
— Nationals Communications (@NationalsComms) July 4, 2025

Ruiz has been out since June 24 with a head contusion after getting hit by a foul ball.

Standing in the dugout when Josh Bell was batting, the ball ricocheted and hit Ruiz in the head which caused him to be placed on the injured list.

Getting him back solidifies the catcher position a bit more. But prior the injury, he wasn't hitting like his usual self with a slash line of .247/.278/.320 and just two homers and 24 RBI in 66 games.

Still, he's a welcome addition to the lineup.

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Williams is going to miss some time after being placed on the 15-day IL with a right elbow sprain.

His return to Washington has not gone as planned, with the veteran coming up woefully short of expectations with a 6.21 ERA across his 17 starts after signing a two-year, $14 million contract this past offseason.

Viewed as a potential trade chip ahead of the deadline, this injury and his performance thus far likely ends that possibility.

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Millas was recalled from Triple-A Rochester when Ruiz was put on the shelf, and during his time in The Show, he's gone 1-for-7 across the three games he's gotten into.

Loutos was optioned to the minors on July 3 as the corresponding move for Andrew Chafin's return, but he's now back up in the bigs to fill the spot left open by Williams' injury.

For more Nationals news, head over to Nationals On SI.

This article first appeared on Washington Nationals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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