Two more members of the Nationals' 2020 bullpen are now free agents after right-hander Javy Guerra and lefty Sam Freeman cleared outright waivers, the club announced today. Guerra and Freeman, who both ended the season on the injured list, are the latest Nats players to formally come off the 40-man roster, which now stands at 36. Right-handers Aaron Barrett, Paolo Espino and Austen Williams, plus lefty Roenis Elías and infielder Adrián Sanchez cleared outright waivers last week; Barrett,...

Sam Freeman, one of the early bright spots in the Nationals bullpen during this unusual season, had Tommy John surgery one month ago, manager Davey Martinez confirmed today. Freeman last pitched Aug. 12 in New York, when he motioned for a trainer after feeling a "pop" in his left elbow. He was immediately removed from the game, and though the club's initial diagnosis was a flexor strain in his forearm, Martinez admitted at the time he was worried the injury was more serious. It was. An MRI...

Lots of chatter from the Nationals recently about how well Matt Cronin is doing at the alternate training site. The left-hander has been dominant and has had the opportunity to showcase his stuff against experienced Nats hitters. "It was a little bit of an adjustment at first just facing more seasoned hitters," Cronin said. "Guys who knew the zone a little better and are used to seeing higher-quality stuff. I was struggling just attacking hitters when I first got here, but after the...

The Nationals placed veteran reliever Sean Doolittle on the 10-day injured list Thursday and promoted rookie left-hander Seth Romero to the active roster. Doolittle is suffering from right knee fatigue. Manager Davey Martinez is devising a plan of how to get his left-handed closer back 100 percent healthy over the next week or so. The hope is that with his knee returning to full strength, the velocity in his fastball will return to normal too. "He's going to go back with us," Martinez said...

The 2020 season has already included, and will continue to include, some weird days. Today might end up ranking near the top of the list, though, from the Nationals' perspective. The Nats are scheduled to open a three-game weekend series with the Orioles at Camden Yards. But before the two teams can do that, they first need to complete the suspended game they began at Nationals Park on Sunday. With the Nationals as the home team, even though they'll be playing in Baltimore. With a roster that...

Rookie Seth Romero made his major league debut Thursday against the Mets, coming in for starter Austin Voth to begin the fifth inning, in a game the Nats lost 8-2. It turned out to be an up-and-down outing for the 24-year-old, who had not pitched in a game in almost two years. But a big league promotion is a huge deal for a kid who missed the entire 2019 season recovering from Tommy John surgery. With the Nats down 3-1, the Nats' 2017 first-rounder took on the Mets' speedy outfielder Billy...

For all the issues they've got right now - and there are issues - the Nationals have a chance today to win a series against a division rival. A four-game series, at that. After taking the first two games at Citi Field, then dropping Wednesday night's not-so-pretty contest, the Nats go back at it against the Mets this afternoon for the finale. The forecast in New York (just like here in D.C.) isn't great, but they'll give it a go and hope for the best. The Nationals really need quality...

Nationals manager Davey Martinez delivered news this morning from a rainy Citi Field, where the Nats hope to wrap up their four-game set with the Mets before they board the train for Baltimore tonight. The club announced that left-hander Sam Freeman has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a left flexor mass strain. He had a 0.00 ERA in five innings so far this season. The team activated right-hander Will Harris from the injured list following his recovery from a right groin...

The Nationals are expected to get one key veteran back in their bullpen today, but they may be losing their only effective left-hander for a prolonged stretch. Sam Freeman, who had been a surprise revelation through the season's first three weeks, departed Wednesday night's 11-6 loss to the Mets after telling manager Davey Martinez and director of athletic training Paul Lessard he felt a "pop" in his elbow. The Nationals have initially diagnosed Freeman with a flexor strain in his left...

Manager Davey Martinez said this week that for Aníbal Sánchez to get back to being the pitcher who nearly threw a no-hitter in Game 1 of the 2019 National League Championship Series, the right-hander would have to get the ball down. But in his first two starts this season, Sánchez has not been able to do that, to the tune of nine runs allowed and an 0-2 record. Unfortunately, Sánchez is still looking for that command. Despite a mammoth three-run homer from Juan Soto, Sánchez...

Every team enters every season thinking it has its bullpen plan in place. Who's going to close. Who's going to set up. Who's going to get lefties out. Who's going to pitch out of jams. And then the season begins, and every team realizes that plan going in isn't going to work and has to start adjusting on the fly. Truth be told, it takes months for a bullpen to truly take shape. A manager needs to see how different pitchers handle different situations. He needs to see who's healthy and...

Nationals manager Davey Martinez announced Monday that the club's five-man taxi squad included left-hander Seth Romero, who has never pitched in the major leagues. The 2017 first-round selection out of the University of Houston missed all of the 2019 season as he rehabbed from Tommy John surgery. It was an interesting choice, showing the Nats have confidence in Romero and his stuff and believe that he is very close to making that next step. Plus, looking at the structure of the Nats bullpen...

Reliever Will Harris made the trip to New York as a member of the five-man Nationals taxi squad, a good sign that if everything goes well this week, he could be back in the bullpen at the end of this series or in Baltimore. Manager Davey Martinez said Harris will throw to live batters tomorrow and that will be the final test to see how his tender groin has recovered the past 10 days. "I talked to him today (and) he said he felt good," Martinez said on a pregame Zoom call from Citi Field. "We...

The agreement struck last week between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association ensured all players on 40-man rosters would be paid a partial salary even if there's no 2020 season. But what about longtime big league players who aren't currently on 40-man rosters? That group was taken care of Friday when the union voted to establish an assistance fund for players with major league experience who were in spring training as non-roster invitees. The fund will pay anywhere from $5,000...

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - The Nationals have invited 22 non-roster players to participate in big league camp, a group that includes a host of veterans with major league experience and a handful of prospects who aren't yet on the organization's 40-man roster. Among the veterans who signed minor league contracts and were extended big league invitations are: * Javy Guerra, who made 40 relief appearances for the Nationals last season with a 4.86 ERA and 1.248 WHIP and then pitched in a pair of...