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Lile went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run and an additional run scored during the Nationals' 10-5 loss to the Giants on Friday.
It took until the 20th game of the regular season for Lile to go long, with his two-run home run off Logan Webb in the fourth inning reducing the Nationals' deficit to 8-3. Despite the lack of power, Lile has had success getting on base, reaching base safely in seven of his last eight outings. Over that eight-game span, he has gone 10-for-34 (.294) with one steal, three RBI and four runs scored.
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Nationals' James Wood: Late homer Friday
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Wood went 1-for-5 with a solo home run during the Nationals' 10-5 loss to the Giants on Friday.
Wood made Friday's score more respectable with a solo shot in the seventh inning. It was his sixth home run of the season, five of which have come over his last 12 outings since April 5. In that 12-game span, Wood has gone 17-for-47 (.362) with 13 RBI, four steals, 13 runs scored and 10 walks.
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Nationals' Zack Littell: Lit up by San Francisco
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Littell (0-2) took the loss against the Giants on Friday, allowing eight runs on 11 hits and one walk while striking out four across four innings.
It was another tough outing for Littell, who has given up two home runs or more in three of his first four starts of the season. Six of the eight runs he yielded Friday came in the third inning, highlighted by three-run homer from Heliot Ramos, and Littell was dinged for two more runs in the fourth, including a solo shot from Drew Gilbert. Littell has posted a sub-4.00 ERA in each of the last two seasons, but he's opened 2026 with a 7.11 ERA and 1.74 WHIP over 19 innings. He's slated to start next week at home against Atlanta.
Young is not in the lineup for Friday's game versus the Giants.
Young was hit on the right hand by a pitch in Thursday's win over the Pirates, but he remained in that contest and it's not the reason he's out of Friday's lineup, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports. Joey Wiemer is starting in center field Friday, but Young should be available off the bench.
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Nationals' Orlando Ribalta: Optioned after notching save
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The Nationals optioned Ribalta to Triple-A Rochester on Friday.
The transaction comes one day after Ribalta recorded his first career save in Thursday's extra-inning win over the Pirates. Ribalta is clearing out to make room on the roster for Richard Lovelady, who was acquired via trade Thursday.
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Nationals' Daylen Lile: Two hits in Thursday's win
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Lile went 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored in Thursday's extra-inning win over the Pirates.
After opening the campaign with a seven-game hit streak, Lile cooled off in early April, but he may be heating up again. The 23-year-old outfielder has three multi-hit performances in the last five games, pushing his slash line on the season back up to .277/.310/.337. Lile is still looking for his first homer of 2026 through 19 contests, but he has banged out five doubles while adding one steal, six RBI and 11 runs.
Nationals' Orlando Ribalta: Earns first career save
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Ribalta earned the save Thursday against the Pirates, allowing one hit and striking out one in a scoreless 10th inning.
The right-hander worked around the automatic runner as well as a leadoff single, striking out Bryan Reynolds and then inducing a game-ending double play from Jake Mangum. Despite the admirable performance, Ribalta was the sixth pitcher to come out of the bullpen, and the Nationals didn't have many other options in the 10th. Still, the 28-year-old has quality stuff with a mid-90s fastball and a changeup that produced a 40.4 percent whiff rate in 2025, and if he continues to improve his control he could emerge as a high-leverage option. After walking 21 batters in 33.1 innings across three levels last year, Ribalta has issued only one free pass in 7.1 innings between Triple-A and the majors to begin 2026.
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Nationals' Clayton Beeter: Blows save but earns win
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Beeter (1-0) earned the win but blew the save Thursday against the Pirates, allowing one run on one hit and two walks while striking out one in the ninth inning.
Given a 7-6 lead, Beeter struggled to find the plate and tossed just 19 of 32 pitches for strikes, allowing the game-tying run on a bases-loaded infield single by Brandon Lowe. It was the second blown save of the season for the 27-year-old right-hander, but Beeter was able to wiggle out of the jam with no further damage, and the Nationals bailed him out by taking the lead in the top of the 10th. Beeter will need to clean up his control issues if he's going to remain in the ninth-inning picture, as he has more walks (eight) than strikeouts (seven) in 9.1 innings so far on the season.
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Nationals' Foster Griffin: Tagged for four in no-decision
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Griffin took a no-decision Thursday against the Pirates, allowing four runs on eight hits and one walk while striking out seven in 5.1 innings.
It was smooth sailing for Griffin through four innings, but he ran into some trouble in the fifth after being handed a 4-0 lead. The 30-year-old allowed four runs of his own in the bottom of the frame, the biggest swing being a three-run home run from Marcell Ozuna. That blast snapped a streak of three straight starts in which the lefty had allowed two runs or fewer. On the bright side, Griffin has 19 strikeouts through 20.2 innings to begin the season, showing a little more dominance than anticipated. His next scheduled start will come against Atlanta, fourth in MLB with 24 home runs, early next week.
The Nationals transferred Waldichuk (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Thursday.
The transaction clears a spot on the 40-man roster for the addition of Richard Lovelady. Waldichuk is likely headed for Tommy John surgery, though he will receive a second opinion before a final decision is made.
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Nationals' Richard Lovelady: Traded to Nationals
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The Nationals acquired Lovelady from the Mets on Thursday in exchange for cash considerations.
Lovelady has gone back and forth between the two organizations multiple times since January. The southpaw holds a 3.68 ERA and 6:4 K:BB over 7.1 innings this season. He does not have minor-league options remaining, so Lovelady will go directly onto the Nationals' active roster.
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Nationals' Keibert Ruiz: Excluded from lineup Thursday
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Ruiz is not in the lineup for Thursday's game in Pittsburgh.
Ruiz and Drew Millas have had a fairly even timeshare at catcher this season, and it will be Millas behind the dish for Thursday's matinee. The switch-hitting Ruiz has slashed a mere .182/.200/.333 in the early going this season.
Nationals' Jake Irvin: Five solid innings in second loss
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Irvin (1-2) took the loss Wednesday against the Pirates, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks in five innings. He struck out five.
It was a bit of a hard-luck loss for Irvin, who yielded just four singles but did struggle with his control. The right-hander tossed five innings for the third time in four starts to begin the year, though he's yet to give up fewer than two runs in any of them. Irvin has a lackluster 6.16 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 21:11 K:BB over his first 19 innings, so he'll remain difficult to trust in fantasy lineups against Atlanta next week.
Vivas will start at second base and bat seventh in Wednesday's game against the Pirates.
Vivas will stick in the lineup for a fourth straight game, this time shifting over to the keystone after manning third base in each of the previous three contests. While the left-handed hitter's playing time against left-handed pitching is likely to remain limited, he might have earned himself more frequent opportunities versus righties after getting on base at a .406 clip in 33 plate appearances against them so far in 2026.
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