Washington Nationals News

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Luis García Jr. • 1B • Nationals

Luis Garcia Jr. Still on the Bench on Friday Against Marlins

Washington Nationals infielder Luis Garcia Jr. (wrist) remains out for Friday's series opener against the division-rival Miami Marlins, according to MLB.com. Curtis Mead will make another start at first base and will bat second against Marlins rookie left-hander Robby Snelling, who is making his major-league debut. Garcia will miss a fourth straight game due to a wrist/hand sprain. He said earlier this week that he would avoid a trip to the injured list, but that could change quickly if he cannot return to the field this weekend in Miami. The 25-year-old left-handed-hitting infielder is not a must-hold in fantasy leagues while he tries to overcome his wrist injury. In his first 107 at-bats this year, Garcia has 25 hits (.234 average) with just one home run, 16 RBI, 14 runs scored, and two stolen bases. Mead is a low-upside DFS sleeper in the two-hole. He's gone 4-for-19 (.211) in six games in May and is hitting just .220 on the year in a part-time role for the Nats.

Yesterday

CJ Abrams • SS • Nationals

CJ Abrams has Grand Night, Continues to Hit the Ball Hard

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams has been punishing baseballs this year, and that continued in the team's 15-2 blowout win over the visiting Minnesota Twins. Abrams went 3-for-5 at the plate with a grand slam, two doubles, five RBI, and two runs scored to boost his season average to .299 and his OPS to .960. The 25-year-old hit the second grand slam of his career in the bottom of the eighth inning. The 25-year-old former sixth overall pick by the San Diego Padres in 2019 now has a .401 on-base percentage in 36 games this year and has added nine home runs, a league-high 33 RBI, seven stolen bases, and 21 runs scored across 152 plate appearances. Abrams has been even better of late, going 12-for-30 (.400) with two home runs, three doubles, 12 RBI, six runs scored, and two stolen bases in eight games since April 28. Keep riding his hot bat while it lasts.

2 days ago

Luis García Jr. • 1B • Nationals

Luis Garcia Jr. Still Out for Series Finale Against Twins

Washington Nationals infielder Luis Garcia Jr. (wrist) remains sidelined for Thursday's series finale against the visiting Minnesota Twins, according to MLB.com. Curtis Mead is making yet another start at first base and will bat third for the Nats against Twins right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson. Garcia said he will avoid a trip to the injured list with what is being called a minor right wrist sprain, but if he's unable to return for this weekend's series against the division-rival Miami Marlins, that could change. This will be his third straight missed game. The 25-year-old left-handed-hitting infielder merely offers infield depth to fantasy managers in deeper leagues. He's currently hitting .234 (25-for-107) with one home run, 16 RBI, 14 runs scored, and two stolen bases in 33 games played. Mead has four long balls in 78 at-bats, but he's also batting just .218 at the plate. The Australian has gone hitless in just two career at-bats against Woods Richardson.

2 days ago

Luis García Jr. • 1B • Nationals

Luis Garcia Jr. Remains Out of Nationals Lineup on Wednesday

Washington Nationals infielder Luis Garcia Jr. (wrist) remains out of the starting lineup on Wednesday against the visiting Minnesota Twins with a hand/wrist injury, per MLB.com. Curtis Mead will make another start at first base for the Nats and will hit third in the batting order against Twins right-hander Bailey Ober. Garcia is missing a second straight start after injuring his hand/wrist in Sunday's series finale against the Milwaukee Brewers. The 25-year-old is considered day-to-day for now and could be back as early as Thursday's series finale in D.C. against the Twins. Garcia, who is merely an infield depth option in deeper fantasy leagues, has hit just .234 (25-for-107) with a homer, 16 RBI, 14 runs scored, and two stolen bases in his 33 games played so far in 2026 as the team's regular first baseman. Mead has one hit in just two career at-bats against Ober.

3 days ago

Luis García Jr. • 1B • Nationals

Luis Garcia Jr. to Have MRI on his Wrist on Monday

Washington Nationals infielder Luis Garcia Jr. (wrist) is heading for an MRI exam on his injured wrist on Monday, manager Blake Butera told Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports. Garcia felt his right wrist while swinging on Sunday against the Milwaukee Brewers and was replaced at first base in the sixth inning by Curtis Mead. For now, the Nationals are classifying the 25-year-old's injury as wrist soreness, but we should know more soon. With a scheduled day off on Monday, perhaps Garcia will be feeling good enough to play in Tuesday's series opener against the visiting Minnesota Twins if his MRI comes back clean. Before he was pulled from Sunday's series finale against Milwaukee, Garcia went 0-for-2 at the plate, and he's now hitting just .234/.259/.336 with a .595 OPS, one home run, 16 RBI, 14 runs scored, and two stolen bases in 107 at-bats in 2026. Garcia is currently rostered in 45% of Yahoo leagues.

5 days ago

Daylen Lile • LF • Nationals

Daylen Lile Offers High-Floor Appeal as a Waiver Wire Target

Across his first 144 plate appearances of 2026, Washington Nationals outfielder Daylen Lile is hitting .260/.326/.389 with three home runs, 14 RBI, 20 runs scored, and one stolen base. The 23-year-old has established himself as the everyday left fielder in Washington and regularly bats in the middle of his team's lineup, which has helped him rack up counting stats. With above-average walk and strikeout rates of 9% and 18.1%, Lile brings quality plate skills to the table that should provide him with a stable production floor. He also batted .299 in 351 plate appearances for the Nationals in 2025, so Lile could offer some batting average upside for fantasy managers. He may not stand out in any one area, but managers in need of a steady outfielder may want to consider targeting him on the waiver wire.

7 days ago

Gus Varland • RP • Nationals

Gus Varland Earns Another Save in Washington, Seeing Fantasy Value Rise

Washington Nationals right-handed reliever Gus Varland is seeing his fantasy baseball value rise after earning his third save of the year in the team's 5-4 win over the division-rival New York Mets at Citi Field on Thursday. Varland entered the game with two outs in the eighth inning and ended up tossing 1 1/3 scoreless innings with one hit allowed and one strikeout. The 29-year-old had a nice bounce-back outing after he blew his second save of the year on April 25 against the Chicago White Sox. The next save went to right-hander Paxton Schultz on Sunday. The Nationals are in a closer-by-committee situation right now with Clayton Beeter (forearm) currently on the 15-day injured list. Varland appears to be the best short-term option for saves in D.C. right now, and he has a 2.84 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, three saves, and a 14:3 K:BB in his 12 2/3 frames. He's rostered in only 6% of Yahoo leagues, and he's really only an option in deeper leagues for a short-term boost in save chances.

Apr 30

Cade Cavalli • SP • Nationals

Cade Cavalli Strikes Out 10, Earns First Win on Wednesday

Washington Nationals right-hander Cade Cavalli was hit around a bit in Wednesday's victory over the division-rival New York Mets, but he still managed to pick up his first win of the 2026 season, allowing two earned runs on eight hits (one homer) while walking two and striking out 10 in six innings. It was Cavalli's second quality start of the year, and he was able to generate 18 swings and misses despite giving up a season-high eight hits and his first home run of the year. It was nice to see the 27-year-old go deeper in an outing. He's now 1-1 with a 3.82 ERA (2.82 FIP) and 1.66 WHIP with 38 strikeouts and 14 walks in 30 2/3 innings pitched over his seven starts. Efficiency and length have been issues for Cavalli early in the 2026 campaign, but perhaps his outing on Wednesday will be a turning point. He has another plus matchup upcoming in his next scheduled outing versus the Minnesota Twins. Cavalli is currently rostered in only 13% of Yahoo leagues, but he could quickly become a popular waiver-wire pickup if he has a second straight strong outing.

Apr 30

Cade Cavalli • SP • Nationals

Cade Cavalli Emerging as a High-Upside Waiver-Wire Option

Across 24 2/3 innings (six starts) so far this season, Washington Nationals starting pitcher Cade Cavalli has posted a 0-1 record with a 4.01 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, and 28 strikeouts. While the 27-year-old's numbers don't necessarily jump off the page, he's coming off an impressive 10-strikeout performance against a strong Atlanta Braves lineup in his most recent appearance. Cavalli's elevated WHIP is largely due to his elevated 10.3% walk rate. However, he hasn't allowed a walk in either of his last two outings. The former top prospect is averaging 96.6 mph on his fastball and owns a solid 24.1% strikeout rate. Cavalli could be worth targeting on the waiver wire as a solid streaming starting pitcher with upside.

Apr 27

Clayton Beeter • RP • Nationals

Nationals Place Clayton Beeter on Injured List With Forearm Soreness

The Washington Nationals announced on Sunday that they placed right-handed reliever Clayton Beeter (forearm) on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to April 23) with right-forearm soreness and recalled right-handers Paxton Schultz and Andre Granillo from Triple-A Rochester in corresponding moves. Beeter has not appeared in a game for the Nats since Tuesday, and it's unclear how long he might be sidelined with his forearm injury. The 27-year-old Texas native already has a career-high two saves for Washington in his 10 relief appearances so far in his third year in the big leagues, to go along with a 3.48 ERA (6.54 FIP), 1.26 WHIP, nine strikeouts, and eight walks in 10 1/3 innings pitched. Beeter has been fortunate to have an ERA under 4.00, as he's been pretty wild. He leads the league with five wild pitches. The Nats will continue a closer-by-committee approach late in games with Beeter sidelined, with Gus Varland being the favorite for most of the save chances in D.C. Varland is currently rostered in only 3% of Yahoo leagues.

Apr 26

Cade Cavalli • SP • Nationals

Cade Cavalli Punches Out 10 in Impressive Outing, Worth a Pickup?

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Cade Cavalli looked sharp on the mound during Thursday's outing against the Atlanta Braves. The right-hander tossed five innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits, while striking out 10 batters. He came out for the sixth inning, but was pulled after allowing a leadoff single. It didn't take long for the Nats' bullpen to blow this game, which will keep Cavalli out of the win column. The biggest problem for the right-hander this season has been an inability to work deep into games. Cavalli has only pitched into the sixth inning once in six starts. He'll take a 4.01 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, and a 28:18 K:BB ratio into his next outing against the New York Mets. He'll offer some streaming appeal against the struggling Mets offense.

Apr 23

Daylen Lile • LF • Nationals

Daylen Lile Stays Hot With Another Home Run on Wednesday

Washington Nationals outfielder Daylen Lile is on a power binge of late and should start attracting more interest off the waiver wire if he keeps it up. Lile went 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBI in Wednesday's 8-6 loss to the division-rival Atlanta Braves in D.C. The 23-year-old outfielder now has three home runs in his last five games, including five extra-base hits during that span. To start his first full season in the majors, Lile is slashing .282/.333/.437 with a .770 OPS, three home runs, 13 RBI, 15 runs scored, and a stolen base in 111 plate appearances across 24 games played. The former second-rounder in 2021 has quickly become a regular in Washington's everyday lineup after hitting .299 (96-for-321) with nine long balls, 41 RBI, 51 runs scored, and eight stolen bases in 91 games in his rookie campaign in 2025. Lile has also hit safely in eight of his last 10 games going into Thursday's series finale against Atlanta. He's currently rostered in 57% of Yahoo leagues, but that number figures to go up in the coming days.

Apr 23

Eli Willits • SS • Nationals

Eli Willits Showcasing Power Upside in Lower Levels

Washington Nationals top infield prospect Eli Willits has begun to tap into his power upside at Low-A Fredericksburg. The former No. 1 overall selection from last summer's draft has tallied a round-tripper in each of his last two games. These marked his first two long balls of the campaign and snapped a 10-game power drought to open the season. Since going 4-for-27 to open the regular season, Willits has begun to find his footing. Over his last five contests, Willits has gone 5-for-22 while swiping two bags and adding three extra-base hits. After joining the Nationals last summer, he was sent to Low-A for a short 15-game stint where he posted an elite .300/.397/.360 line. If Willits can return to this form, he should earn a promotion to High-A later this summer.

Apr 17

Clayton Beeter • RP • Nationals

Clayton Beeter Blows Second Save of the Season

Washington Nationals relief pitcher Clayton Beeter continued to struggle with his command during Thursday's outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Beeter was handed the ball in the ninth inning with a one-run lead on Thursday. The right-hander allowed two walks, one hit, and one run to blow his second save of the season. He was able to get out of the inning and eventually earn the win with the Nationals taking the lead in the 10th inning. Orlando Ribalta wound up earning the save by tossing a scoreless inning in the 10th. Beeter could be on a short leash in the closer role with eight walks in 9.1 innings this season.

Apr 16

Clayton Beeter • RP • Nationals

Clayton Beeter Falls to Setup Role on Tuesday Night

Washington Nationals closer Clayton Beeter was leveraged in the eighth inning of Tuesday's 5-4 win over the Pirates rather than getting the save opportunity in the ninth. That honor was given to Gus Varland, who was also granted the team's previous save opportunity on Sunday. Nats' manager Blake Butera has not indicated that Beeter is no longer the closer, so both pitchers could be in the mix for saves going forward. Neither has pitched particularly poorly, but Beeter has allowed one more home run than Varland (two vs. one) and is walking batters at a higher rate (6:6 K:BB vs. 7:3 K:BB), which might be the catalyst for Varland's recent opportunities. Beeter managers and other fantasy managers searching for saves should give Varland a look, who is rostered in just one percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Apr 15

Gus Varland • RP • Nationals

Gus Varland Earns Second Save of the Week, Emerging as New Closer in Washington?

Washington Nationals reliever Gus Varland tossed a scoreless ninth in Tuesday's 5-4 win over the Pirates, earning his second save in consecutive appearances. It wasn't without drama, though, as the right-hander allowed a one-out double and walked the next batter, but was able to get the next two hitters out and close the door on the threat. Clayton Beeter, who had notched the team's prior two saves, was notably used in the eighth to record a pair of outs instead of the ninth. Neither pitcher has been particularly overpowering, with Beeter having the edge in ERA and WHIP (3.24, 1.08 vs. 4.50, 1.50) but Varland with the better K-BB% (14.8 percent vs. 0.0 percent). The team could continue to use both pitchers going forward, but the 29-year-old Varland has planted himself squarely on the fantasy radar if he will be in the mix for saves going forward, which he appears to be. The 6-foot-1 hurler is available in nearly all Yahoo! leagues, but that number is sure to rise.

Apr 15

Miles Mikolas • SP • Nationals

Miles Mikolas to Work Behind an Opener on Tuesday

Washington Nationals right-hander Miles Mikolas will work as a bulk reliever behind opener PJ Poulin on Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park, according to Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports. Mitchell Parker will also be available out of the bullpen for the Nats. Mikolas could be in danger of moving to a bullpen role exclusively if he doesn't start improving soon in his first year in D.C. The 37-year-old veteran has a 12.41 ERA and 2.35 WHIP with 11 strikeouts and seven walks in 12 1/3 innings in his first three starts for Washington this year. He leads the league in earned runs allowed (17) and home runs allowed (five) as well, so nothing has been going his way early on. Mikolas has never been a high-strikeout arm, so he already doesn't have much fantasy baseball appeal. The left-handed Poulin has a league-high nine appearances (one start) so far this year, recording a 4.00 ERA and 1.44 WHIP with six punchouts and seven walks in nine innings pitched. Avoid him as a DFS streamer.

Apr 14

Cole Henry • RP • Nationals

Nationals Place Cole Henry on 15-Day Injured List With Rotator-Cuff Strain

The Washington Nationals announced on Monday that they placed right-handed reliever Cole Henry (shoulder) on the 15-day injured list with a right rotator-cuff strain. Manager Blake Butera said that Henry's MRI exam didn't show anything "too serious," but it's unclear when the 26-year-old will throw again. The 26-year-old has gotten off to a tough start in 2026 in his second MLB season, allowing seven runs (five earned) on eight hits (one homer) while walking four and striking out eight in seven innings out of the bullpen. There is opportunity in Washington's bullpen this year, but Henry is not only not healthy, but he hasn't been pitching well enough to be trusted in high-leverage situations. Henry might never be a very reliable late-inning pitcher for fantasy purposes with shaky control and fly-ball tendencies.

Apr 14

Clayton Beeter • RP • Nationals

Clayton Beeter Picks up His Second Save of the Season on Saturday

Washington Nationals right-handed reliever, Clayton Beeter, picked up his second save of the season on Saturday in the Nationals' 3-1 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. Beeter worked the ninth inning up 3-0, and allowed an earned run on one hit, two walks, and two strikeouts. He needed 24 pitches to get through the ninth inning, 12 of which he threw for strikes. Beeter wasn't particularly sharp in this outing; however, he appears to be the leader in the relievers' room to continue to earn saves for a Nationals team that is sitting at 7-8 on the season after sweeping the Brewers over the weekend. Beeter has three save opportunities compared to Cole Henry's two, Gus Varland's two, and Ken Waldichuk's one. While the path is still a bit muddy for Beeter, he appears to be the frontrunner and is worth a waiver wire pickup in deeper leagues requiring saves as a category. On the season, Beeter owns a 3.52 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, and six strikeouts in seven appearances to go along with those two saves.

Apr 13

Brady House • 3B • Nationals

Brady House Emerging as a Priority Early-Season Waiver Wire Target

Washington Nationals third baseman Brady House struggled in his first taste of MLB action in 2025, posting a .574 OPS with just four home runs across 274 plate appearances. Early on in 2026, House appears to have turned a corner. The 22-year-old is hitting .255/.321/.431 with two home runs, five RBI, and seven runs scored across his first 56 plate appearances of the year. House also looks to have locked down every day playing time and a prominent spot in the Nationals lineup, as he's batted third in nine of his 13 games played so far this season. With a 28.6% strikeout rate, swing-and-miss remains a concern in House's profile. Still, he's logged an impressive 11.4% barrel rate and improved his walk rate by six percentage points from 2025. In leagues where he's not already rostered, House profiles as a worthy waiver wire target for fantasy managers across most league formats.

Apr 12

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