We’ve reached the final week of the year, so it’s time to look back at the Nationals’ most significant stories of 2024. We begin the series today looking back at the departures of the final pieces from the 2019 World Series championship team …

The revolving door had been turning since that glorious night in Houston on Oct. 30, 2019. The roster that helped the Nationals clinch their first World Series championship in franchise history would never be assembled again. But that didn’t mean pieces couldn’t linger.

Players – both of the utmost importance and those who were along for the ride – stayed around in the years since. That was until this year when, finally, the last pieces of that championship squad departed D.C.

The first to leave in 2024 was the World Series MVP, Stephen Strasburg. After a convoluted and confusing path to get there, the 36-year-old officially retired on April 6, months after plans were already in place to announce the end of his career due to complications from thoracic outlet syndrome.

The hold-up? The money still owed Strasburg, who only pitched 31 ⅓ innings in three years after the World Series, from the seven-year, $245 million extension he signed in December 2019. He was still owed $100 million over the next three years.

CLEVELAND – Victor Robles won’t be remaining in the Nationals organization after the club made another procedural move today that ensures the longtime outfielder will have to try to revitalize his career with another franchise.

The Nats requested unconditional release waivers on Robles today, a transaction that comes five days after they designated him for assignment. The DFA move immediately removed the 27-year-old from the 40-man roster but left him in limbo for the week while the club explored its various options.

The Nationals could have traded Robles to another team, but no satisfactory offers were made. He’s now available to 29 other clubs via waivers, but any claiming team would be responsible for his $2.65 million salary.

If Robles went unclaimed, the Nats could have attempted to outright him to Triple-A Rochester, though as a veteran with five years of big league service time, he could have refused the assignment and become a free agent. By requesting unconditional release waivers, they are already stating their intention not to keep him in the organization.

So, once Robles officially passes through waivers unclaimed, he’ll be released. If another team decides to sign him at that point, it would only have to pay him a prorated portion of the league minimum salary ($740,000). The Nationals would be responsible for the rest of his guaranteed deal, which expires at the end of the season.

ATLANTA – Reinforcements have arrived for the Nationals offense as Lane Thomas was activated off the 10-day injured list following his left MCL sprain.

Thomas, the Nats’ best offensive player last year, has been out since April 23 with the injury. But after about a month’s worth of rehabilitation, he was finally cleared to play in games this week, making four rehab appearances with Double-A Harrisburg and going 4-for-13 with two doubles, three walks, two strikeouts, two RBIs, two stolen bases, two runs scored and an outfield assist.

“Feels great. Feels good to be back with all of the guys,” Thomas said ahead of today’s series opener against the Braves. “Physically, I feel good. So I’m just excited to get back in there.”

After his strong performance at the plate in 2023, the 29-year-old got off to a slow start this year. In 22 games with the Nats, he has hit just .184 with a .503 OPS, two home runs (his only extra-base hits), 10 RBIs and 11 stolen bases.

Thomas is in today’s starting lineup, batting second and playing right field.

ATLANTA – After a stretch of offensive woes, the Nationals got some decent production at the plate over the weekend. They scored a combined 14 runs while taking two of three from the Mariners, missing a chance to sweep the series on Sunday. They’ll hope their bats stay hot in Atlanta as they begin a seven-game road trip.

Isn’t it crazy that it’s Memorial Day and this is the first time the Nats will face the Braves this season? 

Some reinforcements came south with them. Lane Thomas was activated off the 10-day injured list after recovering from his left MCL sprain and playing in four rehab games with Double-A Harrisburg. But that means someone has to come off the active roster, so in a corresponding move, the Nats designated Victor Robles for assignment, seemingly ending his 11-year tenure with the organization. More on that decision coming soon.

The Nats will send Mitchell Parker to the mound for his eighth start. Manager Davey Martinez used Thursday’s off-day to switch up the rotation to give guys some extra rest, so the rookie left-hander will be pitching on two extra days’ rest. He’s 3-2 with a 3.32 ERA and 1.158 WHIP after holding the Twins to three runs over six innings with seven strikeouts last week.

Parker will face a Braves lineup without the reigning National League MVP. Ronald Acuña Jr. tore his left ACL yesterday against the Pirates and the team announced last night he will miss the remainder of the year. Acuña also missed significant time in 2021 when he tore his right ACL.

The Nationals need more offense right now, nobody’s disputing that. They’ve lost nine of their last 11 games, and in seven of those losses they’ve scored two or fewer runs. (Their pitching staff, meanwhile, has given up four or fewer runs in all but two of these last 11 games, so you can’t really place any blame on that unit.)

Given the current state of affairs, it’s going to take more than one hot bat to turn the lineup around. Far too many regulars are slumping, and there isn’t one magic bullet waiting in the wings to save the day. (Not even James Wood, though you’d have to believe he would help way more than he’d hurt the team right now.)

The Nationals should be getting one proven hitter back in their lineup soon, though. Perhaps as soon as tonight. Lane Thomas is just about ready to return from his knee injury, and his return will be fully embraced by his team.

“He’s a big piece to our lineup,” manager Davey Martinez said earlier this week. “He’s been that 2-hole guy, and he and CJ (Abrams) have seemed to work well together. Hopefully we get him back soon, because we definitely miss him. When he’s in the lineup, it stretches our lineup a lot.”

Indeed, Thomas’ absence since he sprained the MCL in his left knee one month ago has been noticeable, even though he wasn’t performing up to his past standards, producing a mere .503 OPS in 22 games. Martinez has scrambled to find someone else to bat second behind Abrams, from Jesse Winker to Nick Senzel to Ildemaro Vargas to Eddie Rosario.

CHICAGO – The Nationals’ series opener against the White Sox was postponed due to heavy rain that descended upon the area this afternoon and doesn’t promise to let up all night.

The two teams will play a traditional doubleheader Tuesday, with the first game starting at 4:40 p.m. Eastern and the nightcap to follow 30-to-45 minutes after conclusion of the opener.

Though it was warm and muggy earlier in the day, the skies began to darken by midafternoon. The grounds crew at Guaranteed Rate Field preemptively rolled out the tarp and covered up the infield before either team could take batting practice, and for good reason: It started raining hard only a few minutes later.

Rather than wait it out for hours and hope conditions improved enough to get the game in tonight, officials called it off slightly more than an hour before scheduled first pitch at 7:40 p.m. Eastern. Neither scheduled starting pitcher began to warm up.

Trevor Williams, tonight’s originally scheduled starter, will now pitch Game 1 on Tuesday, opposed by right-hander Chris Flexen. Mitchell Parker will start as scheduled Tuesday, taking the mound for the nightcap against former Nationals righty Erick Fedde.

BOSTON – Today felt like it was going to be a weird day at Fenway Park. The Nationals and Red Sox had played two quick, nondescript games to start this three-game series. Plus, it was Mother’s Day.

Something a little more interesting had to happen, right?

Well, something more interesting definitely happened and then some as the Nats fell to the Red Sox 3-2 in the series finale in front of 29,250 fans.

"We made some mistakes," manager Davey Martinez said after the game. "A dropped fly ball, ran into some outs on the bases and it cost us. It might have cost us the game, you don't know that. But when you make those kinds of mistakes, it's definitely gonna hamper the way you finish the game.

The wackiness started from the get-go.

BOSTON – It had been 25 days since his last game with the Nationals. And it had been three days and two games since he had been activated off the injured list. But on Friday night, Victor Robles finally made his return to a big league game.

And what a triumphant return it was.

Robles landed on the IL on April 4 with a left hamstring strain, another frustrating injury sidelining the soon-to-be 27-year-old outfielder who is trying to find a place in this organization’s future. He ended up missing 29 games, the most by any injured Nats player this year, not including the three on the 60-day IL.

Although he was reinstated Tuesday afternoon, he didn’t play in either game against the Orioles. And then Thursday’s off-day prolonged his return even more.

But finally Robles saw his name written on the lineup card yesterday inside the visiting clubhouse at Fenway Park, batting ninth and playing right field instead of his usual position in center field. It didn’t matter. He was finally playing.

BOSTON – The Nationals arrived at Fenway Park with a rough history in the landmark ballpark.

Entering tonight’s opener of a three-game series, they were 15-24 all-time against the Red Sox and 5-13 at Fenway.

But the 2024 Nationals do not care much for history. They came to face a streaky Red Sox team with a similar record as their third straight American League East opponent. And they came away victorious.

The Nationals beat the Red Sox 5-1 to get back over .500 on a cold 51-degree Boston evening in front of an announced crowd of 31,313 fans. And they did so with some nifty two-out hitting and gutsy pitching, including from starter Patrick Corbin.

Facing right-hander Tanner Houck, who entered tonight’s start with a 1.99 ERA and 0.971 WHIP over his first seven outings, the Nats were able to put pressure on him with two outs in the early innings.

Victor Robles is back on the Nationals roster, but not back in their lineup yet.

The Nats activated Robles off the 10-day injured list this afternoon, the outfielder having proven he has fully recovered from the left hamstring strain he suffered during the season’s first week. The club optioned Alex Call to Triple-A Rochester to clear a roster spot.

Robles played in only four games before suffering his injury running the bases. He was off to a solid start, reaching base in three of his five plate appearances and stealing two bases, on the heels of a strong spring in which he hit .368 with a .455 on-base percentage.

All that progress, though, was disrupted by his injury, which knocked him out a full month. He went on a rehab assignment in Rochester last week and over the course of six games went 7-for-20 with a double, a triple, three RBIs and three walks, convincing club officials and himself he was ready to return.

“I feel great,” he said, via interpreter Octavio Martinez. “My legs feel great. I have no discomfort when I’m running around.”

The Nationals’ run-starved lineup should get a couple of veterans back in the coming days.

First baseman Joey Gallo is scheduled to begin what should be a brief rehab assignment Saturday at Single-A Fredericksburg. Outfielder Victor Robles, meanwhile, continues on his rehab assignment at Triple-A Rochester and appears close to rejoining the big league club.

Gallo, out since April 27 with a sprained left shoulder, is ready to start playing in minor league games a week later. He has already taken swings in the cage and is now prepared to face live pitching in a game.

Gallo is eligible to come off the 10-day injured list on Tuesday, so if all goes well he should be activated in time for the Nationals’ series opener against the Orioles that night. The 30-year-old was off to a miserable start to his season, batting .122 with three homers, five RBIs and 43 strikeouts in 91 plate appearances, but his presence would still be a boost to a Nats lineup that has scored only two runs in its last three games.

Robles is set to play in his fourth rehab game tonight for Triple-A Rochester, batting leadoff and starting in center field. The 26-year-old suffered a hamstring strain April 3 and has been on the IL since. He’s 3-for-10 with a triple and two RBIs so far on rehab.

ARLINGTON, Texas – Nick Senzel is on the kind of power streak most players only dream about. Trey Lipscomb has been red-hot since returning from Triple-A. So how do the Nationals keep both players in the lineup?

For now, the answer is to have Senzel serve as designated hitter while Lipscomb handles third base.

That’s the alignment again tonight for the Nats’ series opener against the Rangers, the fourth straight lineup card Davey Martinez has filled out with Lipscomb at third and Senzel as DH.

“It works out really well for us right now,” Martinez said. “Nick’s starting to swing the bat really well. Lipscomb’s playing really well both sides of the ball. So we’ll keep it like this for a while.”

Senzel, whose season debut was delayed by a fractured thumb suffered during pregame drills on Opening Day, enters tonight with five homers in his last six games. And he nearly hit another homer Monday night in Miami, the ball landing at the wall in deep left-center for a double.

MIAMI – The Nationals had a few empty lockers in their clubhouse ahead of their series finale against the Marlins.

Victor Robles and Cade Cavalli both left the team to take the next steps in their respective rehabs.

Robles, on the 10-day injured list since April 4 with a left hamstring strain, is on his way to join Triple-A Rochester for a rehab assignment. The Red Wings start a six-game home series against Syracuse (Mets) tomorrow.

“He went out. He'll play. He's going to Rochester, so he'll start tomorrow,” manager Davey Martinez said during his pregame media session. “We'll get him out there and, like I said, we'll take it as quick but as slow as possible in the same breath. Just want to make sure he's completely healthy.”

Robles didn’t record a hit in four big league games to start the year, but did draw three walks in five plate appearances for a .600 on-base percentage while also stealing two bags and scoring two runs. Injuries limited him to 36 games last year.

MIAMI – The Nationals are looking to turn the page after getting swept at home this week by the Dodgers. They arrived in Miami for four games against the Marlins as their usual up-beat bunch.

The Nats had more reasons to be happy upon arriving at loanDepot park than their three-game losing streak might suggest, as they got encouraging news about some their injured players.

Victor Robles, on the 10-day injured list since April 4 with a left hamstring strain, is nearing a minor league rehab assignment and should be ready to head out sometime next week.

“He sprinted up to about 90 percent yesterday,” manager Davey Martinez said before tonight’s series opener. “He's running the bases and did some defensive work, so he's getting close. Hopefully by the end of this weekend or next week, we can get him out on rehab assignment.”

Robles was hitless in four games to start the year, but did post a .600 on-base percentage by drawing three walks in five plate appearances while also stealing two bases and scoring two runs. This comes on the heels of a 2023 campaign in which he was limited to just 36 games by injuries.

As the Nationals prepare to welcome the Astros to D.C. for three games this weekend, when the organization and fan base are celebrating the five-year anniversary of their World Series win over Houston, there was some baseball news to attend to before the festivities begin.

Davey Martinez has three prominent players on the injured list, and each of them is progressing nicely and nearing a return.

Josiah Gray, who landed on the 15-day IL on April 9, retroactive to April 6, with a right elbow/forearm flexor strain, has been able to increase his throwing distance over the past couple of days.

“Josiah Gray played catch up to 60 feet the last two days,” the manager said ahead of Friday’s opener. “He feels good, so he will continue his progress.”

Gray is eligible to come off the injured list after this weekend, but the Nats will likely want to see him return to the mound a few times before returning him to the active roster. And they’re hoping that once this injury has been healed it will turn into better results for the right-hander, who allowed 13 runs and 15 hits in 8 ⅓ innings over his first two starts.

Victor Robles’ encouraging start to the season came to an abrupt halt Wednesday night when the Nationals center fielder strained his left hamstring running the bases, leading to his official placement today on the 10-day injured list.

Fellow outfielder Jacob Young was recalled from Triple-A Rochester to take Robles’ roster spot.

There was no immediate guess on a timetable for Robles to be out, but the strain is significant enough that club officials didn’t really consider keeping him on the active roster and hoping he’d be ready to return within days.

“It stinks about Vic,” manager Davey Martinez said. “He worked really hard to get back. Hopefully we can get him back soon, but it’s going to take him some time.”

It’s a frustrating development for Robles, who missed most of last season with a back injury that proved far more severe than initially believed. The 26-year-old was back healthy this spring and looked like he was finally starting to perform the way the Nats have long hoped he would, drawing three walks in his first five plate appearances after slashing .368/.455/.526 during spring training.

Trevor Williams won the Nationals fifth starter’s job to begin the season not on merit so much as on track record, contract status and the fact his spring training competition (Zach Davies) did nothing to earn the job himself.

The leash on Williams, who statistically ranked as one of the worst starters in baseball last year, is probably short. But Davey Martinez wanted to give the veteran a chance to open the season in the rotation and hope he would provide some sense of stability for his young and developing ballclub.

Who’d have guessed the best outing by any of the team’s five starters the first trip through the rotation would come from the last of them to take the mound?

With 5 1/3 innings of two-run ball, Williams became the first Nationals starter to earn a win in 2024. And thanks to enough offensive support – including Joey Gallo’s first homer of the year – the Nats emerged with a 5-3 victory over the Pirates on a cold, rainy April evening on South Capitol Street.

Williams was far from spectacular, or dominant. But aside from a rough top of the second, he was effective, holding down a Pittsburgh club that was looking to improve to 6-0 for the first time since 1962.

Spring training is officially over. The Nationals boarded their charter flight in West Palm Beach after Sunday’s game and departed for Washington, ready to get the 2024 season going.

There’s still one more exhibition to play (Tuesday’s “Futures Game” against the organization’s prospects) before Thursday’s season opener in Cincinnati, but it’s OK to take a moment today to look back at what transpired over the last six weeks and share some thoughts.

As is always the case, we spend a lot of time at spring training obsessing over certain roster spots or job competitions. And by the end of camp, you can’t help but wonder if that time and energy was well spent.

It’s in that spirit that we present an annual feature on the morning after the spring training finale: What did we maybe make too big a deal about, and what did we potentially gloss over during our time in Florida …

TOO BIG A DEAL: WHETHER THE KIDS WOULD MAKE THE TEAM
It was impossible not to devote a ton of attention to the row of top prospects whose lockers were all together right by the front door of the Nationals’ clubhouse. And there was plenty to get excited about from that group. But talk about their chances of making the Opening Day roster was probably premature. Yes, James Wood looked great, batting .364 with an MLB-best 1.214 OPS. But he’s also a 21-year-old with half a season of experience at Double-A. Yes, Dylan Crews had his moments. But he was still playing at LSU this time last year and struggled in his brief time in Harrisburg last September. Brady House? He’s still got a ways to go. Only Trey Lipscomb (the least-talked-about prospect at the start of spring) played his way into the conversation at the end of camp. He turns 24 this summer, he looks very comfortable at three infield positions, and he consistently hit all spring. But even if he doesn’t make the roster, it’s not the end of the world. All of these guys will eventually be playing in D.C. The real test comes now that spring training is over.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Josiah Gray has danced this dance before. He did it on a regular basis last season, putting himself into jams and then getting himself out of them.

That success has given the Nationals right-hander the confidence to deal with such precarious situations. It has also made him realize he’d be better served not getting into those situations quite so often.

“I think every outing when I’m toeing that line … it’s kind of like: Here we go again,” he said. “I shouldn’t be putting myself in these positions.”

Gray kept doing it tonight during the Nationals’ 10-1 exhibition victory over the Astros. He allowed 10 of the 24 batters he faced to reach, seven via walk. And somehow he departed after five innings with only one run on the board.

“Not a pretty outing at all,” he said. “Kind of just laboring through things. Some of the walks, I felt like I was spraying the ball around. Some of the other walks, I felt like I was just missing them. I was lucky to only give up one today, but things could get a little different with that many runners on.”

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – With less than two weeks remaining in spring training, the two members of the Nationals’ projected lineup most in danger of losing their jobs got a muted vote of confidence from general manager Mike Rizzo, who nonetheless made it clear he needs to see more improvement from Luis García Jr. and Victor Robles.

García and Robles came to camp with an edict from club officials to show long-sought improvement, told they would be pushed by others in search of their starting jobs over the course of the spring. Each has enjoyed some success at the plate – García is 8-for-29 with two doubles and a homer, Robles is 6-for-18 with a homer and three walks – but each has come under some criticism following fundamental mistakes.

Asked about both García, 23, and Robles, 26, this afternoon, Rizzo expressed disappointment in those mistakes while also acknowledging their relative inexperience.

“I think they’re playing hard, they’re playing well,” Rizzo said. “We have to eliminate the mental lapses and the mental mistakes. But when you think about it, they’re both still young men chronologically. Although they seem like they’ve been here forever, they’re still young people. Luis is still 23 years old. If they didn’t have ability, obviously you wouldn’t be putting up with the mental mistakes that they make. But they have a lot of ability. They’ve shown it in the past at this level. We just have to get them over that, because that’s not helping the team.”

García in particular came under fire last week after committing errors on back-to-back plays, then getting picked off first base the following day.