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Nationals' Daylen Lile: Hot stretch continues with homer
Rotowire
Lile went 1-for-3 with a solo home run and a walk in Monday's loss against Atlanta.
Lile connected on his second homer of the season, pulling a Bryce Elder slider over the right-field fence to give Washington the lead in the fourth inning, though Atlanta would come back to win. After a slow start to April, the outfielder has picked it up of late, slashing .310/.355/.586 over his past seven games while hitting safely in nine of his past 10. Overall, the 23-year-old owns a .738 OPS with two homers, six doubles, nine RBI and 14 runs through 22 games.
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Nationals' Jake Irvin: Handed third loss
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Irvin (1-3) took the loss Monday, allowing four runs (three earned) on three hits and no walks over five innings against Atlanta. He struck out four.
Irvin allowed just three hits, though one was a costly two-run homer as he took his third loss of the season. It's been a lackluster start for the right-hander, who owns a 6.00 ERA and 1.29 WHIP across 24 innings (five starts). Monday marked the 29-year-old's first outing without issuing a walk, though he did hit Ronald Acuna twice. Irvin's next start is tentatively scheduled for Saturday against the White Sox.
Nationals' Josiah Gray: Sent for additional testing
Rotowire
Gray (elbow) remains shut down from throwing and will undergo additional testing, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports.
It's an ominous sign for Gray, who missed most of the last two seasons due to Tommy John surgery before suffering a flexor strain at the end of spring training. Gray is already on the 60-day injured list and could be looking at another long-term absence.
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Nationals' Keibert Ruiz: Sitting as timeshare continues
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Ruiz is out of the lineup for Monday's game against Atlanta.
Ruiz started consecutive games April 10 and 11, but since then, he and Drew Millas have resumed alternating turns behind the dish like they have throughout the season. Though he's the more established of the two backstops, Ruiz has cobbled together a middling .220/.250/.366 slash line for the season and will likely need to improve upon on that production in order to earn a larger share of the starting opportunities.
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Nationals' Julian Fernandez: Moves up to majors
Rotowire
The Nationals recalled Fernandez from Triple-A Rochester on Monday.
He'll be taking the spot in the bullpen previously occupied by lefty Andrew Alvarez, who was optioned to Rochester after tossing 4.1 innings of long relief in Sunday's 3-0 win over the Giants. Fernandez, 30, had posted a 4.70 ERA and 1.53 WHIP in 7.2 innings with the Triple-A club this season and is likely to be ticketed for low-leverage work while he's up with Washington.
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Nationals' Miles Mikolas: Sharp as primary pitcher Sunday
Rotowire
Mikolas didn't factor into the decision in Sunday's win over the Giants, allowing four hits and a walk over four scoreless innings of relief. He struck out four.
The veteran right-hander worked as a bulk reliever, taking the mound after PJ Poulin recorded the first two outs for the Nationals, and Mikolas just missed collecting his first win of the season -- Washington scored all three of its runs right after he was lifted after 61 pitches (40 strikes) for Andrew Alvarez, who completed a combined shutout. Mikolas still has an ugly 9.15 ERA, 1.98 WHIP and 15:10 K:BB through 19.2 innings over five appearances (three starts) this season, but Sunday's effort was at least encouraging. Mikolas lines up for another favorable matchup, either as a starter or a primary pitcher, next weekend on the road against the White Sox.
Schultz (1-1) earned the win Sunday, allowing one run on a hit and a walk over five innings against the Athletics. He struck out six.
Schultz was sharp in his second big-league start, limiting baserunners and tallying six strikeouts en route to his first win. Through 9.1 MLB innings, the 22-year-old owns a 3.86 ERA and 0.96 WHIP with a 10:5 K:BB, flashing the potential that has made him one of the most well-regarded left-handed pitching prospects in baseball. His next start is projected for Saturday against the Nationals, and it will be worth monitoring whether the White Sox allow Schultz to pitch deeper into games after he was pulled at 82 pitches Sunday.
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Nationals' Curtis Mead: Goes yard Sunday
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Mead went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Sunday's 3-0 win over the Giants.
Mead delivered the game's biggest swing, launching a two-run homer off Robbie Ray in the fifth inning to extend Washington's lead. The long ball was his second of the season. Entering Sunday, Mead had been in a slump, going just 2-for-20 over his previous eight games, making this a much-needed breakthrough. The 25-year-old is now slashing .205/.271/.409 with seven RBI and two stolen bases across 48 plate appearances.
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Nationals' Andrew Alvarez: Headed back to Triple-A
Rotowire
The Nationals optioned Alvarez to Triple-A Rochester after Sunday's 3-0 win over the Giants.
Alvarez was called up from Rochester ahead of Sunday's series finale and played a pivotal role while working out of the bullpen. The southpaw tossed the final 4.1 innings of the team's combined shutout of the Giants, allowing three hits while striking out five en route to earning the win. Alvarez posted a 2.31 ERA and 1.11 WHIP with 20 strikeouts over 23.1 innings in five starts with the Nationals in 2025, and considering how well he pitched Sunday, he likely won't have to wait long for another shot with the big-league club. In the meantime, Alvarez will slot back into the rotation at Rochester.
Nationals' Daylen Lile: Receiving first day off of 2026
Rotowire
Lile is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Giants.
Though the left-handed-hitting Lile typically starts against left-handed pitching, he'll hit the bench Sunday for the first time in 2026 while the Giants send a tough southpaw in Robbie Ray to the bump. Through Washington's first 21 games of the season, Lile has produced a stellar .283 batting average but hasn't supplemented it with quality counting statistics (one home run, one stolen base, 13 runs and eight RBI).
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Nationals' Jorbit Vivas: On bench Sunday
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Vivas is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Giants.
The left-handed-hitting Vivas had started six of the Nationals' last seven games, seeing time at second base, third base and DH, but he'll hit the bench Sunday while southpaw Robbie Ray takes the hill for the Giants. With a .780 OPS through 54 plate appearances, Vivas has put himself in consideration for regular reps against right-handed pitching, but Jose Tena (.811 OPS in 36 plate appearances) is also jockeying with Vivas for the same spot in the lineup.
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Nationals' Andrew Alvarez: Promoted Sunday
Rotowire
The Nationals recalled Alvarez from Triple-A Rochester on Sunday.
The left-hander has a 4.66 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 27:10 K:BB across 19.1 frames in four starts for Rochester and will now get a look in the big-league bullpen. The Nationals are starting PJ Poulin as an opener Sunday before turning to primary pitcher Miles Mikolas, after which Alvarez could be called upon to provide some more length.
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Nationals' Miles Mikolas: Set for another bulk-relief outing
Rotowire
Mikolas is scheduled to work in bulk relief behind opening pitcher PJ Poulin in Sunday's game against the Giants, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports.
The Nationals will pair Mikolas with Poulin for a second straight turn through the rotation. After turning in a 12.41 ERA, 2.35 WHIP and 11:7 K:BB in 12.1 innings over his first three starts this season, Mikolas didn't fare dramatically better coming out of the bullpen Tuesday, as the Pirates tagged him for three earned runs on three hits and two walks across 3.1 innings. Despite the favorable matchup against a weak Giants offense, Mikolas hasn't provided reason for fantasy managers to include him in lineups with any level of confidence.
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Nationals' PJ Poulin: Opening Sunday's game
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Poulin will serve as the Nationals' opening pitcher for Sunday's game against the Giants, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports.
Poulin will draw his third start of the season as an opener, again working in front of Miles Mikolas. The Nationals rode the Poulin-Mikolas pairing to a win over the Pirates on Tuesday, though the two pitchers combined to allow four earned runs over 4.1 innings. Poulin is unlikely to pitch more than an inning or two Sunday before turning the game over to the veteran right-hander.
Nationals' James Wood: Homers, scores thrice Saturday
Rotowire
Wood went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, hit-by-pitch, two walks, two RBI and three runs scored in Saturday's 7-6 extra-innings loss to the Giants.
Wood led off the game with a solo homer against Adrian Houser and was then hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the second inning. Wood has now homered in back-to-back games and has seven on the season, with six of those long balls coming over his last 13 contests. On the season, Wood is slashing .256/.385/.570 with seven long balls, 18 RBI, 20 runs scored, four stolen bases and a 16:33 BB:K across 104 plate appearances.
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Nationals' Paxton Schultz: Shuttled to Rochester
Rotowire
Schultz was optioned to Triple-A Rochester on Saturday.
Schultz threw three innings and 48 pitches Friday, a long enough outing that he will likely be unavailable for a few days. The Nationals' bullpen was taxed heavily again Saturday, likely creating a need for fresh arms Sunday. Schultz has been fairly effective across eight innings this season, and he'll almost certainly be back in the majors at some point later on.
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