Nationals drop 2025 'Nats summer concert series' lineup

This season at Nationals Park, the fun doesn’t stop once the final “out” is called – the popular Nats Summer Concert Series is returning to the ballpark in 2025, bringing world-class artists to the baseball diamond on Friday nights throughout the summer. Postgame concerts are free to fans with a ticket to that day’s game. To learn more and purchase tickets, including Concert 6-Packs for access to all six postgame shows, visit nats.com/SummerConcerts.

The Nats Summer Concert Series lineup includes platinum-certified rock band originally from Rockville, Md., O.A.R. (May 9); multi-platinum British pop singer, songwriter and record producer Natasha Bedingfield (June 6); Diamond-selling, multi-platinum and three-time Grammy Award-winning rap superstar Nelly (June 13); Grammy-nominated, Diamond-selling country star Sam Hunt (Aug. 15); chart-topping artists Ja Rule and Grammy Award winner Ashanti (Aug. 29); and multi-award-winning country singer-songwriter Riley Green (Sept. 26).

Mark your calendars now so you don’t have to turn the car around this summer. Prepare to release your inhibitions because we’re gonna have a house party and we do things a little different ‘round here at Nationals ParkEverybody will be livin’ it up and ready to rock wit u, so lace up your Air Force Ones and head to the ballpark for the Nats Summer Concert Series.

Postgame concerts will begin approximately 30 minutes following the final out. Access to the postgame concert is free with a ticket to that day’s game; a limited number of on-field passes are available for purchase. Visit nats.com/SummerConcerts for tickets and information. 

In addition to the Nats Summer Concert Series, a number of world-renowned artists will make tour stops at Nationals Park this year, including Shakira (Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour, May 31), Stray Kids (Dominate World Tour, June 23), Billy Joel and Sting (One Night – One Stage, Sept. 5) and The Lumineers (The Automatic World Tour, Sept. 6). With 10 total concerts on tap, 2025 marks Nationals Park’s most musical season yet.  For more information and to purchase tickets, visit nats.com/Concerts.

Nationals agree to terms with Jorge López

The Washington Nationals agreed to terms with right-handed pitcher Jorge López on a one-year contract and designated right-handed pitcher Amos Willingham for assignment on Saturday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.

López, 31, joins the Nationals after he went 2-3 with a 2.89 ERA, 50 strikeouts and four saves in 52 relief appearances last season between the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs. He worked 39 scoreless appearances, including 14 consecutive from July 11 to August 16. That 16.0-inning scoreless streak was tied for the 10th-longest by a National League reliever in 2024.

An American League All-Star in 2022, López has pitched in parts of nine Major League seasons with Milwaukee (2015, 2017-18), Kansas City (2018-20), Baltimore (2020-22, 2023), Minnesota (2022-23), Miami (2023), New York (NL) (2024) and Chicago (NL) (2024). He is 24-43 with a 5.25 ERA, 31 saves and 468 strikeouts in 282 career games (58 starts). Since transitioning to the bullpen full-time in 2022, López is 12-12 with a 3.74 ERA, 30 saves, 21 holds and 171 strikeouts in 183.0 innings.

López was originally selected by Milwaukee in the second round of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft out of Caguas Military Academy in Caguas, Puerto Rico.

Nationals acquire Nathaniel Lowe

The Washington Nationals acquired first baseman Nathaniel Lowe from the Texas Rangers in exchange for left-handed pitcher Robert Garcia on Sunday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.

Lowe, 29, won a Rawlings Gold Glove Award in 2023, a Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award in 2022, and was a member of the 2023 World Champion Texas Rangers. In 2024, he paced the Rangers and ranked in the American League in walks (6th, 71) and on-base percentage (9th, .361). His .361 on-base percentage ranked second among American League first basemen, while his .762 OPS ranked third. Lowe’s 12.6% walk rate ranked fourth in all of Major League Baseball.

In his fourth season in Texas in 2024, Lowe hit .265 with 16 doubles, one triple, 16 home runs, 69 RBI, 71 walks, two stolen bases and 62 runs scored in 140 games. He ranked second among American League first basemen with seven outs above average and fourth with a .995 fielding percentage. Lowe is under club control through the 2026 season.

The left-handed hitting Lowe is a career .272/.356/.433 hitter with 114 doubles, 10 triples, 89 home runs, 329 RBI, 314 walks and 334 runs scored in 686 games across six Major League seasons with Texas (2021-24) and Tampa Bay. A native of Norfolk, Virginia, Lowe was originally selected by the Rays in the 13th round of the 2016 First-Year Player Draft out of Mississippi State University.

 

Nats non-tender Kyle Finnegan and Tanner Rainey

The Nationals have tendered contracts to all unsigned 40-man roster players with the exception of Kyle Finnegan and Tanner Rainey.

Finnegan and Rainey are now free agents.

The 40-man roster is now at 36. 

Nationals select Joe La Sorsa, recall Joan Adon among roster moves

The Washington Nationals selected the contract of left-handed pitcher Joe La Sorsa, recalled right-handed pitcher Joan Adon, placed left-handed pitcher Robert Garcia on the Bereavement List and placed right-handed pitcher Derek Law on the 15-day Injured List with a right elbow flexor strain on Saturday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.

La Sorsa, 26, has pitched to a 2-2 record with a 2.25 ERA in 56.0 innings pitched for Triple-A Rochester this season. He has worked more than 1.0 inning in 24 of his 42 games this season and has produced 31 scoreless appearances. La Sorsa allowed just six of 42 inherited runners (14.3%) to score this season, including only three of his last 34 (8.8%) dating to May 9. Over his last five games, he has allowed one run in 5.2 innings (1.59 ERA) and has held opponents to a .190 batting average (4-for-21).

The Mount Kisco, N.Y. native appeared in 23 games for the Nationals in 2023 after he was claimed off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays on June 8. La Sorsa went 1-0 with a 4.76 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 28.1 innings pitched in those games. He did not allow a run and struck out eight over his final six appearances, totaling 9.0 innings, including 3.2 scoreless innings with four strikeouts against the Los Angeles Dodgers on September 10.

Adon, 26, returns to the Nationals for his fourth Major League stint this season. Since transitioning to the bullpen in Rochester on June 25, he has a 2.51 ERA with 12 strikeouts in 14.1 innings. He’s gone multiple innings in four of his 10 games in relief and has worked seven scoreless appearances.

Adon’s last two appearances for Washington have been scoreless, working a perfect ninth inning against San Francisco on August 7 and retiring one of two batters he faced on August 8 against the Giants. In all, he is 0-0 with a 6.48 ERA in six games, including one start, for the Nationals this season.

Nationals recall José Tena and reinstate Jordan Weems

The Washington Nationals recalled infielder José Tena from Triple-A Rochester and reinstated right-handed pitcher Jordan Weems from the 15-day Injured List on Saturday. In corresponding moves, the club optioned right-handed pitcher Joan Adon and infielder Trey Lipscomb to Triple-A Rochester. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcements.

Tena, 23, was one of three players acquired from the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for Lane Thomas on July 29. He joins the Nationals after hitting .287 with 21 doubles, two triples, 18 home runs, 68 RBI, 34 walks, 15 stolen bases and 60 runs scored in 100 games between Triple-A Columbus and Triple-A Rochester. In 10 games with the Red Wings, five of his seven hits went for extra bases (4 2B, HR). Tena has appeared at shortstop (62 G), second base (18 G), third base (17 G) and designated hitter (2 G) this season.

At the time of the trade, Tena (tey-NAH), led Cleveland’s Minor League system with 110 hits and ranked in home runs (2nd, 17), RBI (3rd, 63), extra-base hits (4th, 36), batting average (4th, .298), slugging percentage (6th, .493) and OPS (6th, .846). He is a career .284/.338/.441 hitter with 113 doubles, 22 triples, 58 home runs, 283 RBI, 156 walks, 65 stolen bases and 310 runs scored in 530 games across six Minor League seasons. Tena earned a Rawlings Minor League Gold Glove in 2021 with High-A Lake County.

Tena made his Major League debut on Aug. 5, 2023 and has appeared in 21 games for the Guardians across two seasons (2023-24). He is 7-for-35 (.200) with two doubles, three RBI, three walks and two runs scored along the way. This marks his second Major League stint of the season, having appeared in three games from June 28 to July 3.

Weems, 31, returns to the active roster after being placed on the Injured List on July 26 with shin splints. He is 1-1 with a 6.59 ERA in 40 games out of Washington’s bullpen this season.

Nationals select 10 players on final day of 2024 First-Year Player Draft

The Washington Nationals selected 10 players on the third and final day of Major League Baseball’s 2024 First-Year Player Draft on Tuesday. President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo, Vice President, Amateur Scouting Danny Haas, Senior Director, Amateur Scouting Brad Ciolek, and Assistant Director and National Crosschecker, Amateur Scouting Reed Dunn made the announcements.

The Nationals opened Day 3 with the selection of left-handed pitcher Merritt Beeker from Ball State (Ind.) University in the 11th round. The 2024 Mid-Atlantic Conference Pitcher of the Year, Beeker ranked tied for seventh in all of NCAA Division I with 128 strikeouts in 81.0 innings pitched. He went 9-3 with a 4.11 ERA in 15 starts during his junior season. Beeker spent two seasons at East Carolina University before transferring to Ball State.

In the 12th round, Washington selected right-handed pitcher Alexander Meckley from Coastal Carolina (S.C.) University. Meckley opened the season 3-0 with a 2.60 ERA in his first five starts and recorded a total 57 strikeouts in 52.2 innings on the season. He pitched in 21 games and made nine starts in 2024.

 In the 13th round, the Nationals selected left-handed pitcher Bryant Olson from Mercer (Ga.) University. As a junior in 2024, he led the Southern Conference with eight saves while striking out 39 batters in 26.2 innings. Olson transferred from Gordon State (Ga.) College where he recorded 97 strikeouts in 70.2 innings pitched as a sophomore in 2023.

Washington selected right-handed pitcher Yoel Tejeda Jr. in the 14th round. Tejeda Jr. pitched one season for Florida State and went 1-2 with a 5.03 ERA in 12 games, making one start. He struck out 15 in 19.2 innings of work.

Nationals select catcher Caleb Lomavita and shortstop Luke Dickerson

The Washington Nationals selected collegiate catcher Caleb Lomavita out of the University of California, Berkeley, with the No. 39 overall pick and prep shortstop Luke Dickerson from Morris Knolls (N.J.) High School with the No. 44 overall pick in the 2024 MLB First-Year Player Draft on Sunday. President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo, Vice President, Amateur Scouting Danny Haas, Senior Director, Amateur Scouting Brad Ciolek, and Assistant Director and National Crosschecker, Amateur Scouting Reed Dunn made the announcements.

Lomavita, 21, hit .322 with 13 doubles, one triple, 15 home runs, 52 RBI, 12 walks, 12 stolen bases and 51 runs scored in 55 games in 2024. He posted a .395 on-base percentage, .586 slugging percentage and was one of eight catchers in NCAA Division I with 10 or more stolen bases and 10 or more home runs. His led his team with 133 total bases, which ranked fifth-most in the Pac-12.

The No. 18 draft prospect and top catching prospect according to Baseball America, Lomavita was a Dick Howser Trophy (top collegiate player) semifinalist, garnered First-Team All-Pac-12 and All-Pac-12 Defensive Team honors, and was named a Perfect Game Third-Team All-American following his junior season.

The five-foot-11, 200-pound right-handed hitter batted .316 with 13 doubles, 16 home runs, 43 RBI, nine stolen bases, 12 walks and 47 runs scored in 48 games as a sophomore in 2023. He recorded 17 multi-hit games and 12 multi-RBI performances on his way to All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention recognition.

As a freshman in 2022, Lomavita was named a Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball and was one of six true freshmen to earn a spot on the All-Pac-12 First Team after he hit .272 with 10 doubles, a triple, seven home runs, 46 RBI, 22 walks, 15 stolen bases and 37 runs scored.

Nationals' recent moves send Downs, Espino to Triple-A

The Washington Nationals have made the following roster moves:

 

Optioned to Triple-A Rochester:

INF Jeter Downs

RHP Paolo Espino

Nationals reinstate Clippard and activate McGee

The Washington Nationals announced the following roster moves on Friday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcements.

Returned from rehabilitation assignment and reinstated right-handed pitcher Tyler Clippard from the 15-day Injured List:

  • Activated left-handed pitcher Jake McGee
  • Optioned right-handed pitcher Andres Machado to Triple-A Rochester
  • Optioned right-handed pitcher Mason Thompson to Triple-A Rochester (on Wednesday)

Clippard, 37, appeared in one game for the Nationals before being placed on the Injured List with a groin strain on July 22. He tossed 2.0 innings of one-hit, shutout relief on July 14 vs. Atlanta. Clippard appeared in three rehab games with Triple-A Rochester, tossing 4.0 innings of scoreless relief across the three outings.

McGee, 36, was claimed off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers on Aug. 9. He appeared in 30 games between San Francisco and Milwaukee in 2022, going 1-2 with three saves and a 7.00 ERA along the way. A veteran of 13 Major League seasons, McGee has pitched to a 3.67 ERA with 79 saves in 638 career games. He recorded a career-high 31 saves with San Francisco in 2021.

Machado, 29, is 1-0 with a 4.57 ERA in 38 games for the Nationals this season.

Washington Nationals to face New York Yankees on opening day

Washington Nationals to face New York Yankees on opening day
The Washington Nationals will celebrate Opening Day and their first home game of the 2020 season on Thursday, July 23. The game will be aired nationally on ESPN, with first pitch scheduled for 7:08 p.m. ET. In addition to the Opening Day game airing on ESPN, the game against the Yankees on July 25 will be broadcast exclusively on FOX. The Yankees game on July 26 will be broadcast nationally on TBS, as well as on MASN. The opening of the 2020 season marks the first time in Nationals history that...

Nationals announce 2019 schedule

Nationals announce 2019 schedule
The Washington Nationals - in conjunction with Major League Baseball - announced their 2019 schedule on Wednesday. The 15th season of Nationals baseball will commence with an Opening Day matchup against the New York Mets at Nationals Park on March 28th, marking the earliest start of the season in Nationals history (2005-present). Washington's initial homestand will feature three games against the Mets before welcoming the Philadelphia Phillies for two games, April 2nd and 3rd. Nationals Park...

Nationals recall Severino, select contract of Stevenson from Triple-A Syracuse

Nationals recall Severino, select contract of Stevenson from Triple-A Syracuse
The Washington Nationals recalled catcher Pedro Severino and selected the contract of outfielder Andrew Stevenson from Triple-A Syracuse on Sunday. Outfielder Ryan Raburn was placed on the bereavement list, and outfielder Chris Heisey was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a left groin strain. Additionally, outfielder Jayson Werth (left foot contusion) was transferred to the 60-day disabled list. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the...

Nats to play Red Sox at Naval Academy on April 1, Nationals Park on March 31

Nats to play Red Sox at Naval Academy on April 1, Nationals Park on March 31
The Washington Nationals are excited to announce they will play the Boston Red Sox in an exhibition game on Saturday, April 1 at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. As part of a new three-year agreement, the Nationals will hold one exhibition game at the Naval Academy through 2019. The Nationals' opponent for the games in 2018 and 2019 will be determined at a future date. Tickets for this special game are not available to the public. The Nationals and Red Sox will distribute...