Nationals' Sean Doolittle: Kicks off rehab assignment

Doolittle (elbow) began a rehab assignment at High-A Wilmington on Saturday and struck out two while allowing one hit in a scoreless inning of relief.

The rehab appearance was Doolittle's first in a competitive game since April 2022, as the veteran southpaw had been shut down with an elbow injury before ultimately undergoing surgery last July. According to Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com, Doolittle's fastball was clocked at around 92 miles per hour, just a tick below his average from the early part of the 2022 season (93.4 mph). He's scheduled to make his next rehab appearance Tuesday and will likely make several appearances in the minors before the Nationals entertain a potential promotion. Doolittle re-signed with Washington on a minor-league deal in the offseason, so he currently resides on Triple-A Rochester's 7-day injured list and doesn't count toward the Nationals' 40-man roster.