This page may contain affiliate links. If you click and sign up, make a deposit, or place a wager, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
Young is not in the lineup for Wednesday's tilt versus the Phillies.
Young started the last five contests in center field, but he'll get a break Wednesday. Dylan Crews will play center field for the Nationals, and he'll be flanked by Daylen Lile and James Wood.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' Brady House: Out of lineup Wednesday
Rotowire
House is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's game versus the Phillies.
House manned third base in the first game of the series Tuesday, but he'll take a seat in this one. Jorbit Vivas will cover the hot corner for the Nationals on Wednesday.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' CJ Abrams: Back in Nationals' lineup
Rotowire
Abrams (neck) will start at second base and bat cleanup in Wednesday's contest versus the Phillies.
Abrams was unable to play Tuesday because of neck tightness, but he's ready to roll after one day to rest. It's the sixth career start at second base for Abrams, who has split time between the two middle infield positions over the last two-plus weeks.
Nationals' Connelly Early: Labors through first rehab start
Rotowire
Early (elbow) was charged with three runs on two hits and two walks over one inning in his first rehab start with Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday.
Making his first appearance since late June, Early showed considerable rust in needing 35 pitches to get through his lone inning of work. He averaged 93 mph with his four-seamer in the outing, which is one mph less than his average for the season. As long as Early recovers well from the start, he could make his Nationals debut next week. It would be an abbreviated outing but could offer the southpaw some peace of mind with his health heading into the offseason. Early missed nearly three months with left elbow inflammation.
Simpson will start a bullpen game Wednesday against the Phillies, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports.
Washington will lean on its bullpen to get through Wednesday's series finale in an effort to buy some extra rest for Cade Cavalli, who has already pitched 164.2 innings this year. Simpson will take the mound to begin the game despite coughing up three runs without recording an out in his last appearance, and he'll likely remain in the game for a few frames before turning things over to another reliever.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' Erik Tolman: Logs another save
Rotowire
Tolman earned the save in Tuesday's 6-3 win over the Phillies after tossing a scoreless ninth inning.
Tolman didn't record a strikeout, but he also didn't issue a hit nor a walk, needing only 13 pitches (eight strikes) to close out the win for Washington. He has logged three saves (in four chances) over his last six outings, and Tolman and Jack Sinclair both appear to be in the mix for save opportunities over the last couple of weeks of the regular season.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' CJ Abrams: Battling neck tightness
Rotowire
Abrams didn't play in Tuesday's game against the Phillies due to neck tightness, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports.
Abrams has recorded multiple hits in each of his last three games, but neck issues prevented him from contributing to Washington's 6-3 win over the Phillies on Tuesday. The Nationals haven't indicated that the 25-year-old will need to spend time on the injured list due to the neck issue, but Nasim Nunez could be in line to make additional starts at shortstop if Abrams' injury continues to bother him.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' Daylen Lile: Smacks go-ahead homer as pinch hitter
Rotowire
Lile went 1-for-1 with a three-run home run during the Nationals' 6-3 win over the Phillies on Tuesday.
Lile pinch hit for Dylan Crews in the seventh inning, and the former answered the call by taking Jonathan Bowlan deep to center field for a 407-foot, three-run homer to give the Nationals the lead for good. Lile is up to 21 home runs on the season (fourth-most on the Nationals), along with a .740 OPS and 85 RBI across 615 plate appearances.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' Jackson Kent: Yields three runs in no-decision
Rotowire
Kent did not factor into the decision Tuesday against the Phillies, allowing three runs on four hits and three walks while striking out four across five innings.
Kent gave up one run in each of the first, third and fifth innings of Tuesday's start, with the last being on a Kyle Schwarber solo home run. Kent has seven major-league starts under his belt since making his big-league debut Aug. 12, and he's given up at least three earned runs in six of those outings. He figures to see at least two more turns in the rotation before the regular season concludes, with his next appearance lined up for this weekend on the road against the Cardinals.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' Harry Ford: Back in action Tuesday
Rotowire
Ford (hand/wrist) is starting behind the plate and batting seventh Tuesday against the Phillies.
The 23-year-old is making his first start since Friday, when he departed early due to pain in his left hand/wrist. Ford now appears to be fully recovered and will look to bust out of a 1-for-13 slump.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' CJ Abrams: Not in Tuesday's lineup
Rotowire
Abrams is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Phillies.
Abrams started Washington's first 11 games of September but will take a seat Tuesday after posting a .655 OPS during that stretch. Nasim Nunez is manning shortstop and batting ninth for the Nationals versus Philadelphia lefty Cristopher Sanchez.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' James Wood: Taking seat Tuesday
Rotowire
Wood is out of the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Phillies.
After spending a month on the IL due to an oblique injury, Wood returned on Sept. 2 and started the past 10 contests. He's gone 11-for-37 (.297 average) with three doubles, four steals, two RBI and two runs since being activated, but he has seen his home-run drought extend to 18 games. Andres Chaparro is batting second as the designated hitter Tuesday for Washington.
... See More... See Less
Nationals' Connelly Early: Likely to make first rehab start Tuesday
Rotowire
Early (elbow) is expected to begin his rehab assignment Tuesday with Triple-A Rochester, Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic reports.
Early had been scheduled to kick off his rehab assignment and make his organizational debut Sunday with Double-A Harrisburg, but the affiliate's game was rained out that day. The Nationals will now look to have Early report to their Triple-A affiliate to continue building on his workload, after he tossed 30 pitches in a bridge league game one week earlier. After his upcoming rehab start, the Nationals could elect to bring Early back from the 60-day injured list for his next outing, though he likely wouldn't be stretched out enough to handle a traditional starting role.
Willits went 4-for-6 with a double, a home run, a second run scored, three RBI and two stolen bases for Double-A Harrisburg on Saturday.
Per Brendan Samson of MLB.com, Willits became the youngest player to collect a hit this season at Double-A when he singled Thursday, and his long ball Saturday made him only the eighth 18-year-old over the last two decades to homer at the level -- a list that includes Bryce Harper and Fernando Tatis, as well as current top prospects Jesus Made of the Brewers, Leo De Vries (shoulder) of the A's and Sebastian Walcott of the Rangers. Willits sports a .265/.406/.463 slash line in 114 games across three levels of the minors this season with 14 home runs and 62 steals, and while the Nationals won't rush him, his elite package of skills, athleticism and baseball IQ could land him in the majors sometime next summer.
