Nationals Pull Catcher Keibert Ruiz Off Rehab Assignment as Symptoms Linger

The Washington Nationals got some more bad news with one of their most important players who they have been missing for months now on Monday afternoon.

After star catcher Keibert Ruiz seemed to be nearing his return from the 7-day concussion list, he has seemingly suffered a setback. Ruiz has been on the shelf for two months now but was cleared and began a rehab assignment with Double-A Harrisburg last week.

On Monday, it was reported by Mark Zuckerman of MASN that Ruiz had experienced mild headaches over the weekend and as a result was taken off his assignment. He is set to return to the team in Miami and re-enter concussion protocol as Washington takes every precaution with their franchise catcher and a serious head injury.

Interim manager Miguel Cairo said did not mince words when asked about the development and told media there is concern on the part of the organization.

"It’s a little concerning," Cairo said. "But we’ve got to look at what is best for him. Right now, he’s experiencing a little headache, and we’re going to see how he feels tomorrow. We’ve just got to wait and see."

When Could Ruiz Be Back with Nationals?

In reality, with just a few weeks left of the season and an announcement like this, it's not out of the realm of possibility that Ruiz's 2025 season has already come to a close. Head injuries are not to be messed around with, and as the team is out of contention, they must ask themselves what the advantage to bringing him back right now.

Ruiz was having a down year by his standards even prior to the injury, slashing .247/.277/.318 with two home runs and 25 RBI over 68 and has not posted an OPS over .700 since 2023. Giving him the offseason to reset both mentally and physically could be in the best interest of both Ruiz as well as the organization.

Washington signed Ruiz to an eight-year, $50 million contract which keeps the 27-year-old under team control through the 2032 season. Given the fact that they have already committed to him for the long haul and have reason to preserve his long-term health, putting him on the shelf rather than rushing him back feels like the best outcome here.

Whether or not they try to place him back on assignment remains to be seen, however it's certainly concerning news to hear that Ruiz is still dealing with headache symptoms after two months without playing.