Nationals request release waivers on 1B Nathaniel Lowe

The Washington Nationals requested unconditional release waivers on first baseman Nathaniel Lowe on Saturday after he was designated for assignment Thursday.

Lowe was batting just .216 but was second on the Nationals with 68 RBIs and tied for second with 16 homers. He had 130 strikeouts in 440 at-bats and was just 3-for-33 (.091) over 11 games this month.

Lowe was acquired from the Texas Rangers in the offseason for left-hander Robert Garcia.

The 30-year-old Lowe spent four seasons (2021-24) with the Rangers and was a key contributor to their 2023 World Series championship team. He was a Silver Slugger winner in 2022 when he established career bests of 27 homers and a .302 batting average.

Lowe also played two seasons (2019-20) for the Tampa Bay Rays. He has a .263 average with 105 homers and 397 RBIs in 805 career games.