Nationals' DJ Herz: Gets Tommy John surgery Wednesday
Rotowire
Nationals manager Dave Martinez confirmed that Herz (elbow) underwent Tommy John surgery Wednesday in Dallas, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
TalkNats.com was first to report earlier Wednesday that Herz had decided to undergo the season-ending procedure, though it wasn't immediately clear when the surgery would take place. Rather than scheduling surgery for a later date, Herz elected to have the operation performed by renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. Keith Meister, whom he had recently visited for a second opinion on the partially torn UCL in his left elbow. Martinez noted that Herz's surgery didn't involve the insertion of an internal brace, so he'll likely be in line for a 14-to-18-month rehab process rather than a 12- or 13-month recovery. The 24-year-old is thus unlikely to be ready to contribute for the Nationals until around the middle of the 2026 season.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' DJ Herz: Headed for Tommy John surgery
Rotowire
Herz (elbow) plans to undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery, TalkNats.com reports.
After being diagnosed with a partial UCL sprain in his left elbow shortly before Opening Day, Herz was shut down for three weeks with the hope that some extended rest and rehab would allow him to pitch through the injury. Ultimately, after receiving two additional medical opinions on his elbow, Herz has decided that surgery is his best option. Herz will likely go under the knife in the coming days, and assuming no other additional damage is detected during surgery beyond the compromised UCL, he should be able to pitch again at some point around the All-Star break next season.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' DJ Herz: Getting second opinion on elbow
Rotowire
Herz will receive a second opinion on his injured left elbow from Dr. Keith Meister in Dallas, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Herz has been diagnosed with a sprained UCL, and he will determine after his visit with Dr. Meister whether to undergo surgery or attempt to rest and rehab the injury. If the southpaw does go under the knife, he could be sidelined until around the middle of next season.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' DJ Herz: Shifted to IL
Rotowire
The Nationals placed Herz on the 15-day injured list Monday due to an undisclosed injury.
Washington previously optioned Herz to Triple-A Rochester on Friday after he fell short in his bid for a spot in the Opening Day rotation, but as a result of his move to the IL, he won't immediately report to the minors. Though the nature of Herz's IL placement isn't known, the lefty dealt with dead arm in spring training, so he could just need more time to build up. Washington will presumably have more details on the nature of the 24-year-old's injury as well as a potential timeline for him to return from the IL in the coming days.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' DJ Herz: Might begin season in minors
Rotowire
Herz appears to be on the outside looking in for a spot in the Nationals' Opening Day rotation, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.
Mitchell Parker seems on track to claim the fifth starter role behind MacKenzie Gore, Jake Irvin, Trevor Williams and Michael Soroka. Herz tinkered with his mechanics this offseason, and the results this spring haven't been pretty, as he's walked nine batters in 9.2 Grapefruit League innings while recording only four strikeouts. The 24-year-old lefty may need some time at Triple-A to regain the form that saw him rack up a 27.7 percent strikeout rate against a 9.4 percent walk rate over his first 88.2 big-league innings in 2024.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' DJ Herz: Struggling this spring
Rotowire
Herz gave up four runs (two earned) on four hits and a walk over 3.1 innings during Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals. He struck out one.
While his defense did him no favors -- Jacob Young in center field was the only likely Opening Day starter on the diamond behind him -- Herz also wasn't sharp, something that has been the story of his spring so far. The 24-year-old southpaw tweaked his mechanics this offseason, and he may still be getting comfortable with his new delivery. Through 6.2 innings this spring, Herz has stumbled to an 8.10 ERA and 3:7 K:BB. He still appears set for a spot in the Opening Day rotation, particularly if Mitchell Parker (neck) ends up on the shelf, but a good spring outing or two before camp breaks would go a long way toward reassuring fantasy investors that Herz's promising rookie campaign in 2024 wasn't a mirage.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' DJ Herz: Allows one run in loss
Rotowire
Herz (4-9) took the loss against the Royals on Wednesday, allowing one run on three hits and three walks with three strikeouts over five innings.
Herz threw 52 of 81 pitches for strikes and yielded just one run in the third inning, but the Nationals' offense wasn't able to muster any support for the rookie. While he endured a seven-run disaster in his most recent outing prior to Wednesday, the southpaw yielded just two earned runs across 15 innings in his other three September starts. He'll finish his first season with a 4.16 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and an impressive 10.8 K/9 across 88.2 innings.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' DJ Herz: Crumbles in fourth inning
Rotowire
Herz (4-8) took the loss Wednesday versus the Mets, allowing seven runs on six hits and three walks while striking out five over 3.1 innings.
Herz cruised through three innings, but he was pulled after allowing the first eight batters to reach in the fourth. He had already given up four runs at the time of his exit, and Jacob Barnes let all three inherited runners cross the plate to put more damage on Herz's line. This was the southpaw's worst outing of the year, though he was able to avoid giving up a home run for the fifth time in six appearances. He's now at a 4.30 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 103:33 K:BB through 83.2 innings over 18 starts. His next projected start will likely be his last one of the campaign, which is tentatively set to be at home versus the Royals.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' DJ Herz: Fires five hitless frames
Rotowire
Herz (3-7) earned the win over Pittsburgh in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader, issuing three walks and striking out five batters over five hitless and scoreless innings.
Herz walked one batter in each of his first three frames, but each was with two outs, and none of those batters reached second base. The rookie left-hander finished his outing by retiring the final seven hitters he faced, with four going down on strikeouts. A no-hitter was never really feasible for Herz since he needed 87 pitches to get through five innings, but some fantasy managers may be a little disappointed that he wasn't allowed to remain in the game for the sixth to try for a quality start. Regardless, this was an impressive performance by the 23-year-old, who has more than held his own in his first major-league campaign with a 3.82 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 93:29 K:BB over 75.1 frames.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' DJ Herz: Start pushed to Saturday
Rotowire
Herz will not start Friday against the Pirates as the game has been postponed due to inclement weather.
Friday's tilt will be made up Saturday as part of a doubleheader, and Herz will likely pitch in the first game. The southpaw is 2-7 across 15 starts this season with a 4.09 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 88:26 K:BB in 70.1 innings.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' DJ Herz: Throws five shutout innings
Rotowire
Herz didn't factor into the decision Sunday against Atlanta, allowing one hit and three walks across five scoreless innings. He struck out eight.
Herz was excellent Sunday but wasn't rewarded with the win as Atlanta tied the game 1-1 in the sixth inning before Washington pulled ahead late. The outing marked Herz's third time not allowing an earned run, and he hit the eight-strikeout milestone for the fourth time in 14 starts. The 23-year-old has had issues keeping the ball inside the park -- posting a 1.4 HR/9 across 65.2 innings -- but he's otherwise been impressive. The rookie boasts a 3.84 ERA with 83 strikeouts despite a 2-6 record. Herz is tentatively scheduled to make his next start during a weekend series against the Cubs.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' DJ Herz: Strikes out seven in loss
Rotowire
Herz (2-6) took the loss against the Rockies on Tuesday, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits and two walks with seven strikeouts across 5.2 innings.
Herz generated a solid 13 whiffs on 93 pitches but departed an out shy of his second straight quality start. While he only has one win to show for it, the rookie has yielded two earned runs or fewer in seven of his past eight outings. On the year, he owns a 4.15 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 75:21 K:BB across 60.2 innings and tentatively lines up to face Atlanta on Sunday.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' DJ Herz: Stuck with loss in quality start
Rotowire
Herz (2-5) took the loss Wednesday, giving up two runs on four hits and two walks over six innings in a 4-1 loss to the Orioles. He struck out five.
A two-run homer by Gunnar Henderson in the first inning proved to be too much for the Nationals' offense to overcome, saddling Herz with the loss despite his first quality start since June 15. The rookie southpaw has mostly been reliable of late, allowing two runs or less in six of seven starts since the beginning of July while posting a 3.48 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 41:12 K:BB through 33.2 innings, but he has just a 1-3 record to show for it. Herz will try to get back in the win column in his next outing, which is scheduled to come at home early next week against the Rockies.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' DJ Herz: Strikes out six in win
Rotowire
Herz (2-4) earned the win against the Brewers on Saturday, allowing one unearned run on two hits and one walk with six strikeouts over five innings.
Herz opened with four scoreless frames before Sal Frelick reached on an error and came around to score with two outs in the fifth. The rookie was pulled after 77 pitches and has completed six innings just once in 10 starts, but he has yielded two earned runs or fewer in four of his past five outings. On the season, he owns a 4.27 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 59:13 K:BB across 46.1 innings and lines up for a home matchup with the Giants next week.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' DJ Herz: Drawing start Tuesday
Rotowire
The Nationals recalled Herz from Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
The left-hander will start Tuesday's game against the Padres. Herz was sent down earlier this month mostly as a means to give him some extra rest around the All-Star break. The left-hander should have a decent chance to remain in the Nationals' rotation for the remainder of the season. Herz holds a 5.17 ERA and 41:9 K:BB over 31.1 innings covering seven starts in the majors this season, which includes a pair of double-digit strikeout games.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' DJ Herz: Tagged with third loss
Rotowire
Herz (1-3) took the loss Sunday against the Cardinals. He allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits, two walks and four strikeouts over 4.1 innings.
Herz pitched a clean first and third inning but ran into trouble the rest of the time before getting pulled in the fifth. His rollercoaster rookie campaign continues as he's scattered impressive starts, like the two with double-digit strikeouts, with rough outings like the one on Sunday. The 23-year-old has a 5.17 ERA with 41 strikeouts over 31.1 innings this season.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' DJ Herz: Struggles again Wednesday
Rotowire
Herz (1-2) allowed four runs on six hits and two walks while striking out one batter over 3.1 innings in a loss to San Diego on Wednesday.
Herz made it through the first inning unscathed before giving up a pair of runs in the second. He kept the Padres off the scoreboard in the third but gave up two more runs in the fourth inning before being pulled with one out in the frame. Herz was magnificent in tossing six one-hit, scoreless frames with 13 strikeouts June 15 against Miami, but he's struggled in his two starts since, allowing eight runs (seven earned) across seven innings while notching just six punchouts. It remains to be seen whether he'll stick in the rotation when Josiah Gray (elbow) and/or Trevor Williams (elbow) return, though Herz is probably good for at least his next turn given that Washington will play on 17 straight days, beginning Friday, leading up to the All-Star break.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' DJ Herz: Dominates in first major-league win
Rotowire
Herz (1-1) earned the win against the Marlins on Saturday, allowing one hit and no walks while striking out 13 over six scoreless innings.
Herz was perfect other than a single by Jake Burger in the fifth and cruised to his first major-league win. In only his third career start, Herz registered a whopping 21 swinging strikes on 84 pitches. According to Sarah Langs of MLB.com, he is only the second pitcher in history to record 13 strikeouts and no walks in one of his first three career outings. Herz's minor-league 12.9 K/9 indicates he has real potential to rack up punchouts, and he now owns a 3.77 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 21 strikeouts in his 14.1 innings for the Nationals in 2024. He tentatively lines up to face the Rockies at Coors Field next week.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' DJ Herz: Drawing another start
Rotowire
Herz is slated to start Sunday's game against Atlanta at Nationals Park, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
The rookie will get a tough draw in his second MLB start, as he'll not only oppose a formidable Atlanta offense in a hitter-friendly environment, but he'll also be matching up head-to-head with one of the National League's top pitchers in Max Fried. After getting called up from Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday, Herz took a loss in his big-league debut against the Mets last week, giving up four earned runs on seven hits and two walks over four innings.
... See More... See Less
Cubs' DJ Herz: Whiffs career-high 12
Rotowire
Herz struck out a dozen Dayton hitters over five innings in his start Wednesday for High-A South Bend, allowing no runs on a hit and a hit by pitch. He now has a 1.45 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 53:17 K:BB across 37.1 innings.
Herz has been nearly impossible to hit in the minors going back to last season, as he allowed a composite batting average of .157 last year and has been even better with a microscopic .120 average against him this year. The main caveat for the 21-year-old is that Wednesday marked the first time in 10 starts this season that he's finished five innings, so he's never had to go through a lineup three times. His 4.1 BB/9 is a bit concerning as well. All in all, while Herz still has the potential to become a big-league starter, there's a strong probability that he ends up in a relief role -- but that's not necessarily a bad thing, as he could be a shutdown lefty out of the pen.
