Herz is scheduled to start Sunday's game against the Cardinals in St. Louis, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.
Herz was optioned to Triple-A Rochester on July 8, though his demotion always looked to be the result of the Nationals wanting to maintain more flexibility with their active roster heading into the All-Star break. He rejoined the big club when a fifth starter was needed for the first time in the second half Tuesday and worked five innings in a loss to the Padres, giving up two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out four. Herz will take a 1-4 record and 4.95 ERA into his ninth start of the season with the Nationals on Sunday.
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Nationals' DJ Herz: Drawing start Tuesday
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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.
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Nationals' DJ Herz: Tagged with third loss
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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.
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Nationals' DJ Herz: Struggles again Wednesday
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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.
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Nationals' DJ Herz: Dominates in first major-league win
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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.
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Nationals' DJ Herz: Drawing another start
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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.
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Cubs' DJ Herz: Whiffs career-high 12
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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.
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Cubs' DJ Herz: Nice start at High-A
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Herz struck out five and walked one in three scoreless innings in his season debut for High-A South Bend.
One of the Cubs' top pitching prospects, Herz also allowed just one hit in his season debut. If he can keep the walks in check, he could be a factor in the big-league rotation in 2023 or 2024. His premium stuff would also play up in relief.
