Nationals' Evan Reifert: Taken in Rule 5 draft

The Nationals selected Reifert with the fifth pick in the Rule 5 draft Wednesday, JJ Cooper of Baseball America reports.

Reifert has been a known reliever prospect for a couple years, thanks largely to some very high strikeout rates in the lower levels. He missed most of 2023 with a shoulder injury but had a strong showing down the stretch last season at Double-A, logging a 1.96 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 65 strikeouts in 41.1 innings. Reifert will likely begin the year in a low-leverage role, but there's a chance for upward mobility in a shallow Nationals bullpen.