Washington Nationals outfielder Stone Garrett cleared waivers on Tuesday and has been outrighted to Triple-A Rochester after he was designated for assignment last week. Garrett fractured his ankle in August of 2023 and was still recovering from the injury early in 2024. The 29-year-old former eighth-round pick by the Miami Marlins in 2014 ended up playing in just two games for the Nats last year after hitting .269/.343/.457 with an .801 OPS, nine home runs, 40 RBI, three stolen bases and 40 runs scored in 89 games in 2023. Garrett's .674 OPS in 71 games for Rochester wasn't impressive at all, but he showed in 2023 that he could at least be an option in a short-side platoon role against left-handed pitchers. Unfortunately, Garrett will start at Rochester again this year and will face an uphill battle to carve out a substantial role at the big-league level once again in 2025.
The Washington Nationals designated outfielder Stone Garrett for assignment on Thursday to make room for right-handed reliever Kyle Finnegan on the 40-man roster. Garrett will now be subjected to waivers, but if he goes unclaimed, he could return to the Nationals organization and be assigned to Triple-A Rochester to start the year. The 29-year-old former eighth-round pick by the Miami Marlins in 2014 only appeared in two games in the big leagues in 2024 after having left-ankle surgery. However, in 118 career games since debuting with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2022, Garrett has hit .276/.341/.492 with an .833 OPS, 14 home runs, 53 RBI and six stolen bases in 361 plate appearances, so he could attract interest from around the league as outfield depth with some pop. He could find work in a short-side platoon elsewhere.
Washington Nationals outfielder Stone Garrett is doing well in his recovery from a gruesome leg and ankle injury he suffered in August of last season. The 28-year-old broke his left fibula and injured his ankle while making a leaping catch against the New York Yankees in the Bronx on Aug. 23. He has been participating in most morning drills early in spring training but has yet to make his Grapefruit League debut. Nationals skipper Davey Martinez has said Stone has a realistic chance of cracking the Nationals' Opening Day roster despite his injury. Garrett was productive at the plate in 2023, hitting .269 with nine home runs, three stolen bases, and an .800 OPS across 271 plate appearances, production that graded out 15% superior to the league average, as per his 115 wRC+. Considering his early-career production, Garrett is a sound late-round pick on draft day.
Washington Nationals outfielder Stone Garrett (ankle, leg) is mostly a full participant in camp right now, but he's not all the way back yet since breaking his left fibula and suffering damage to his ankle while crashing into the wall at Yankee Stadium last summer. He is running at full speed and has taken live batting practice off a pitcher, but he's been held out of some baserunning drills and won't be in the lineup when Grapefruit League action kicks off on Saturday. The Nats want to ease the 28-year-old back into the fold, but they're not ruling out Garrett being ready for Opening Day. In his first year in D.C. in 2023, Garrett hit .269 (63-for-234) with nine homers and 40 RBI in 89 games but his 30% strikeout rate doesn't bode well for future success, and the Nationals have plenty of outfield prospects that could make their debuts in 2024.
Stone Garrett A Full-Go But Will Be Watched Closely
Washington Nationals outfielder Stone Garrett (leg) is a full-go for the start of spring training and will hopefully be ready for Opening Day, but general manager Mike Rizzo and manager Dave Martinez said that Garrett's progress will be monitored closely at camp. It was reported recently that Garrett was unlikely to be ready for Opening Day after having surgery last August to fix a fractured fibula. It appears the 28-year-old is making good progress, but he'll understandably be eased into Grapefruit League action, and it wouldn't be a surprise if he starts the 2024 season on the 10-day injured list. Whenever Garrett does make his season debut, he's likely to be involved in a platoon situation in Washington's outfield, possibly with the left-handed-hitting Jesse Winker.
Stone Garrett Unlikely To Be Ready For Opening Day
The Washington Nationals are likely to take the cautious route and give outfielder Stone Garrett (leg) more time to recover from his broken leg, making it unlikely that he'll be ready to go for Opening Day in 2024. Garrett broke his left fibula last year and underwent surgery in August, followed by a minor surgery on his ankle. The 28-year-old should have a pretty good chance to see regular at-bats for the rebuilding Nationals when healthy, but at the very least, he should be in an outfield platoon against left-handed pitching. Garrett has posted a strong .813 OPS in 355 total major-league at-bats, but he's most likely going to be a placeholder in Washington's outfield until prospects James Wood and Dylan Crews arrive, possibly as early as this summer. Garrett is going to need to cut down on his strikeout rate to become a lineup regular in NL-only leagues.
Stone Garrett Out Of Walking Boot, Aiming For Spring Training Return
Washington Nationals outfielder Stone Garrett (leg) ran on the treadmill for the first time Monday and is still aiming to be ready for spring training, per MASN's Bobby Blanco. The 27-year-old had his 2023 season cut short in August after suffering a fractured left fibula. This was a shame, as he was putting together a strong season, slashing .269/.343/.457 with nine home runs, 40 RBI, and three stolen bases in 271 plate appearances. Garrett still has a long way to go to first be healthy for spring training and then to prove that he can produce at the level he was on in 2023, but he could be worth a look at the end of deeper roto-league drafts if he can come back fully.
Stone Garrett Goes On Injured List With Fractured Fibula
The Washington Nationals placed outfielder Stone Garrett (leg) on the 10-day injured list on Thursday with a fractured left fibula and recalled infielder Jeter Downs from Triple-A Rochester in a corresponding move. It's a tough break for Garrett, who had to be carted off the field on Wednesday night against the New York Yankees after getting his leg caught in the outfield wall in the Bronx. The 27-year-old was heating up at the plate in the second half, but now he'll finish his second year in the big leagues and first in D.C. with a .269 average (63-for-234) with nine home runs, 17 doubles, 40 RBI, three steals and 40 runs scored in 89 games played. Garrett's injury is likely to open up more playing time for Alex Call in the outfield the rest of the way.
Washington Nationals outfielder Stone Garrett (leg) was forced to exit early during Wednesday's game against the New York Yankees. Garrett was carted off the field after suffering an apparent left leg injury. The 27-year-old got his leg caught in the wall while attempting to rob a home run in the seventh inning. At the moment, the severity of the injury is unknown. The Nationals should give an update on Garrett's status shortly.
Washington Nationals outfielder Stone Garrett was seeing the ball well on Wednesday in a 6-2 win over the visiting Boston Red Sox. Garrett finished the game 2-for-4 with two home runs, two RBI, two runs scored and a strikeout. The impressive performance at the plate raised Garrett's season slash line to .266/.346/.458 with an .803 OPS, nine home runs, 37 RBI, three stolen bases and 37 runs scored in 214 at-bats. Since the All-Star break, the 27-year-old outfielder has been hitting well, going 17-for-60 (.283) with three home runs, six doubles, 13 RBI and 14 runs scored in 24 games (14 starts). He's now riding a modest five-game hitting streak in which he's gone 8-for-17 with two homers, two doubles, eight RBI and four runs scored in 21 plate appearances.
Stone Garrett
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Nationals
