The Nationals optioned Hassell to Triple-A Rochester after Sunday's 3-1 loss to the Marlins, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
Hassell will return to Rochester after batting .218/.228/.269 with one home run and one stolen base in 79 plate appearances over his first 21 games in the big leagues. The Nationals are expected to recall Daylen Lile from Triple-A to replace Hassell on the active roster ahead of the team's four-game series against the Rockies that begins Monday.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' Robert Hassell: Sitting versus southpaw
Rotowire
Hassell is not in the lineup for Wednesday's game versus the Mets.
The Mets are sending lefty David Peterson to the hill, marking the second straight time the left-handed-hitting Hassell is absent from the lineup against a southpaw. Hassell had started against lefties each of the first five times the Nationals faced a lefty following his promotion from Triple-A Rochester on May 21, but Washington has less of a need for him to face same-handed pitching following the recent return of Jacob Young from the injured list.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' Robert Hassell: On bench against lefty opener
Rotowire
Hassell is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Rangers.
The rookie outfielder will begin Sunday's contest on the bench while southpaw Jacob Latz opens the contest for the Rangers, but Hassell could be called upon to replace either Alex Call or Jacob Young once Latz leaves the mound. The recent return of Young from the injured list may not cost Hassell a regular spot in the lineup, but he'll need to improve on his .259/.259/.328 slash line to ensure he sticks around in Washington for the long haul.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' Robert Hassell: Drives in three in Arizona
Rotowire
Hassell went 2-for-5 with three RBI in Friday's win over the Diamondbacks.
The rookie outfielder opened the scoring with a two-RBI single in the top of the first inning, kicking off a wild 9-7 victory. Hassell has begun to find his rhythm against big-league pitching, racking up six hits -- including his first career homer -- and five RBI in the last three games, but an 0:9 BB:K over his first 32 plate appearances with the Nats remains a red flag for his fantasy appeal.
Nationals' Robert Hassell: Belts first big-league homer
Rotowire
Hassell went 3-for-5 with a solo home run, an additional run and an additional RBI in a 9-0 victory versus the Mariners on Wednesday.
Hassell had been struggling coming into Wednesday, going 0-for-12 with four strikeouts over his previous four games. He broke out of that funk against Seattle, with his biggest highlight being a 416-foot solo homer in the eighth inning for his first MLB long ball. It was also Hassell's first extra-base hit of any sort, and he's gone 5-for-22 (.227 average) with no walks across his first six big-league contests.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' Robert Hassell: Two hits, steal in debut
Rotowire
Hassell went 2-for-5 with a stolen base and two runs scored in Thursday's 8-7 extra-inning win over Atlanta.
This was Hassell's major-league debut, and it didn't take him long to make an impact. He hit a leadoff single in the second inning and stole second before scoring on a CJ Abrams single. Hassell is getting a look in the Nationals' outfield while the team is missing Dylan Crews (oblique) and Jacob Young (shoulder), though it's possible he could stick around longer if he makes a strong first impression. The 23-year-old Hassell slashed .288/.337/.405 across 43 games with Triple-A Rochester this year prior to his call-up after struggling over 17 games at that level to end 2024.
Nationals' Robert Hassell: Recalled to big leagues
Rotowire
The Nationals recalled Hassell from Triple-A Rochester on Wednesday.
Hassell rebounded from a slow start at Rochester this season with a .339/.381/.559 batting line and four home runs so far in May. The 23-year-old's prospect shine has worn since he was included by the Padres as part of a trade package for Juan Soto, but the tools are still there and he could get an opportunity in the Washington outfield while Dylan Crews (oblique) is on the 10-day injured list and Jacob Young (shoulder) is banged up. Hassell is starting in center field and batting seventh Wednesday versus Atlanta in his major-league debut.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' Robert Hassell: Getting call to Washington
Rotowire
The Nationals are expected to recall Hassell from Triple-A Rochester on Wednesday, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
After a slow start to the Triple-A season, Hassell has caught fire to the tune of a .339/.381/.559 slash line with four homers, 14 RBI, eight runs and two steals in 63 plate appearances since the start of May. With Jacob Young (shoulder) and Dylan Crews (back) both dealing with injuries, Hassell will receive his first call-up to the big leagues to provide the Nationals' outfield corps with a healthy body. The 23-year-old is capable of playing all three outfield positions, though he's worked almost exclusively as a center fielder this season.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' Robert Hassell: Catching fire in May
Rotowire
Hassell went 4-for-5 with a walk, two home runs, three runs scored and three RBI for Triple-A Rochester on Friday.
The 23-year-old outfielder limped into May with a .240/.296/.280 slash line, but Hassell has erupted for eight hits in the first two games of the month to add over 150 points to his OPS. Power might never be a consistent part of his game -- Friday's long balls were his first of 2025 -- but he's 7-for-8 on steal attempts through 29 games this season. If an injury opens up a spot in the Nationals' outfield, Hassell is positioning himself to get the first chance at filling it.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' Robert Hassell: Optioned to Triple-A
Rotowire
The Nationals optioned Hassell to Triple-A Rochester on Wednesday, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.
Hassell has had a great Grapefruit League showing, batting .370 with one home run and two stolen bases. However, the 23-year-old has failed to put up even a .650 OPS each of the last two seasons in the minors, so he needs further refinement.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' Robert Hassell: Blistering start to spring
Rotowire
Hassell went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins.
The 23-year-old outfielder launched a pitch from minor leaguer Justin King over the fence in right field in the sixth inning for his first homer of the spring. Hassell was once viewed as a top-10 prospect in baseball, but his status has cratered since he was included in the package the Padres sent the Nationals for Juan Soto in 2022. He made it to Triple-A for the first time late last season, going just 8-for-64 (.125) with a 5:17 BB:K over 17 games, but Washington still elected to add him to the 40-man roster this winter. Hassell has had an impressive start to his spring, going 4-for-9 with two doubles, a homer and a steal in four appearances, but he has a lot to prove before he'll work his way into the Nats' long-term plans alongside the likes of Dylan Crews and James Wood (quad).
Nationals' Robert Hassell: Gets spot on 40-man roster
Rotowire
The Nationals selected Hassell's contract from Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Hassell's star has faded since he was viewed as a top-100 prospect a year ago, as he managed just a .241/.319/.328 batting line over 85 games covering three levels during the 2024 minor-league season. However, the 23-year-old is still viewed highly enough that the Nationals didn't want to expose him to the Rule 5 Draft.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' Robert Hassell: Heading to Triple-A
Rotowire
The Nationals promoted Hassell from Double-A Harrisburg to Triple-A Rochester on Monday, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.
Hassell missed nearly two months of action earlier this summer with a right hand injury and had struggled to shake off the rust upon returning from Harrisburg's injured list Aug. 20. Though he slashed just .238/.306/.381 with two home runs and one stolen base in 11 games following his return to the Double-A lineup, Hassell will nonetheless be awarded his first promotion to the Triple-A level for the final three weeks of the season. Rochester likely had an opening in its everyday outfield for Hassell after the Nationals recently called up prospects Dylan Crews and Darren Baker from Triple-A.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' Robert Hassell: Back in action at Double-A
Rotowire
Hassell (hand) went 2-for-5 at the plate for Double-A Harrisburg in his return from the 7-day injured list Tuesday.
The 23-year-old outfielder was back in action for Harrisburg for the first time since June 11 after an extended absence due to a right hand injury. Before being activated, Hassell played in eight rehab games for High-A Wilmington, going 7-for-27 with six runs and four RBI.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' Robert Hassell: Shut down with injury
Rotowire
Double-A Harrisburg placed Hassell on its 7-day injured list Wednesday with an unspecified injury, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.
Hassell will join one of the Nationals' other top outfield prospects, James Wood (hamstring), on Harrisburg's injured list. Over 215 plate appearances at Double-A on the season, Hassell has hit .278 with three home runs and 11 stolen bases.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' Robert Hassell: Raking at Double-A
Rotowire
Hassell was named the Eastern League Player of the Week on Monday, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports.
The 22-year-old outfielder has been on a heater longer than just one week, however. Hassell has nine multi-hit performances in the last 14 games for Double-A Harrisburg, slashing .434/.508/.585 over that stretch with two homers, nine steals in 10 attempts and a 7:12 BB:K. The improvement in his plate discipline is especially noteworthy -- in 106 games for Harrisburg last season he had a 31.9 percent strikeout rate, a number he's cut down to 19.3 percent through 24 contests in 2024. A promotion to Triple-A for Hassell should be coming shortly, but the Nationals might be waiting to bump James Wood up to the majors to open up a starting job in the outfield at Rochester.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' Robert Hassell: Set to play in exhibition
Rotowire
Hassell (groin) is listed among the Nationals prospects on the "Futures Roster" for Tuesday's exhibition against current Washington players, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Hassell had been attending big-league spring training with the Nationals but didn't appear in any Grapefruit League games since March 8 due to a groin strain. His inclusion on the roster for the upcoming exhibition implies that he'll be ready to go for the start of the minor-league season. Hassell will most likely head back to Double-A Harrisburg after he posted a .640 OPS in 476 plate appearances with the affiliate in 2023.
3:35
1:21
1:18
1:30
2:39
1:19
3:54
1:08
10:23
9:59
0:22
8:08
0:47
8:45
10:27
9:58
9:53
6:27
5:42
6:17
