OF Nate McLouth had his $6.5 million club option declined by the Nationals on Nov. 2, making him a free agent. McLouth, 34, missed the entire 2015 season after undergoing right shoulder surgery in August 2014.

McLouth (shoulder) is expected to miss the rest of the season, MLB.com's Bill Ladson reports.

A labrum tear forced him to miss most of the second half of last season and he has been dealing with a sore shoulder for all of 2015. The Nationals can buy McLouth out of his option for 2016 for $750,000, and he will probably struggle to get a big league contract elsewhere.

Washington Nationals outfielder Nate McLouth will miss the rest of the season due to a shoulder injury, according to MLB.com.

Washington Nationals outfielder Nate McLouth will miss the rest of the season due to a shoulder injury, according to MLB.com. The 33-year-old McLouth has not played this year due to soreness in his shoulder following a labrum tear suffered last season, and he may have his option for 2016 bought out by the team.

McLouth (shoulder) is still experiencing soreness in his shoulder, Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post reports.

The discomfort has put somewhat of a halt to the outfielder's progress, and he's currently back in Washington, D.C. working on strengthening the shoulder before he returns to baseball activities.

McLouth (shoulder) was transferred to the 60-day DL on Thursday in order to clear a spot on the 40-man roster, MASN's Dan Kolko reports.

Nothing about McLouth's prognosis has changed, as he has already been on the DL for 60 days, so he is eligible to come off the DL at any point. Still, considering he has not yet gone on a rehab assignment, he probably won't be activated anytime soon.

McLouth (shoulder) underwent a second MRI that revealed no further issues, Chelseas Janes of the Washington Post reports.

McLouth also had a cortisone injection, and he said afterward that he's feeling better. Still, he's unlikely to join the Nationals before the end of April, after suffering a setback in his recovery from offseason shoulder surgery.

McLouth was placed on the 15-day DL on Sunday, Mark Zuckerman of CSN Washington reports.

McLouth still has a grueling rehab process ahead of him following a setback in his recovery from offseason shoulder surgery. Had he been healthy, there's a good chance McLouth would have seen playing time early in the year with Denard Span (abdominal) and Jayson Werth (shoulder) also set to open the season on the disabled list. Instead, look for Michael Taylor and Tyler Moore to be the likely candidates to jump into the starting outfield spots during the season's opening weeks.

McLouth is expected to open the season on the disabled list, Mark Zuckerman of Nats Insider reports.

McLouth remains on a long rehab process from offseason shoulder surgery, but a the setback will likely keep him from taking the field early in the season. "Remember that this rehab process is a long one," manager Matt Williams said. "He feels good about the way things have progressed. He's disappointed that there's a setback and you just have to deal with it. He'll be fine. When he's ready to go, he's ready to go. But right now it's about his health and having him available for the long run. We don't want to push him too hard."

McLouth (shoulder) might not be ready for Opening Day, James Wagner of the Washington Post reports.

The Nationals are likely going to need McLouth soon with Jayson Werth and Denard Span on injury watch, despite McLouth batting an awful .173/.280.237 in a 2014 season cut short with a torn labrum. That same shoulder is still bothering him, which doesn't create confidence that we're going to see any quick recovery there in the next few weeks.

McLouth was scratched from Saturday's split-squad game due to soreness in his shoulder, the Washington Post reports.

He was originally scheduled to DH. Nationals manager Matt Williams indicated that the club was just being cautious with McLouth, so at this point it doesn't look like he's had any kind of setback in his recovery from his shoulder surgery.

McLouth (shoulder) got the start at DH during Wednesday's Grapefruit League game, going 1-for-2.

Things continue to look good for McLouth, who will see some more action at DH before the Nationals elect to test his surgically-repaired shoulder in the field. Assuming he has no setbacks this spring, he could see regular at-bats in April in a Nats outfield that will be without Denard Span (core muscle) and possibly Jayson Werth (shoudler).

McLouth (shoulder) is close to making his spring debut, the Washington Post reports.

With Denard Span on the shelf due to core muscle surgery and Jayson Werth not yet confirmed to be available for Opening Day, there could be plenty of at-bats for McLouth in April once he demonstrates that he's fully recovered from his own labrum surgery. If he looks to be in top form, he could provide owners in NL-only leagues with some cheap early steals.

McLouth's shoulder felt good after a batting practice session on Saturday, and he expects to be fully recovered from his labrum surgery before Opening Day, the Washington Post reports. "Strength-wise, as far as working out, I'm pretty much at 100 percent," McLouth said. "But it's still building up the arm and the amount of swings is where I'm at. But everything I've done so far feels fine."

The veteran will once again be the Nationals' fourth outfielder in 2015 if he's healthy, a role that could give McLouth some value out of the gate in April if Jayson Werth's own shoulder issues delay the start of his season.

McLouth believes his shoulder will return to 100 percent over the next few weeks, Mark Zuckerman of Nats Insider reports.

McLouth was placed on the disabled list in early August, and missed the remainder of the season due to the shoulder issue. He is apparently beginning to return to form, but has a few hills to climb with endurance and volume, which will likely come in the next few weeks when he ups his baseball regimen. McLouth is expected to serve as a backup for all three of the Nats' starting outfielders in 2015 assuming he performs.

McLouth (shoulder) was transferred to the 60-day DL on Saturday.

This is just a procedural move to free up a spot on the 40-man roster for Nate Schierholtz, as McLouth has been ruled out for the rest of the season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder earlier in the week. McLouth is expected to be ready for spring training.

McLouth (shoulder) is expected to be ready for spring training, Dan Kolko of MASNsports.com reports.

McLouth is slated to undergo season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder Thursday, but manager Matt Williams expects him to be back at full health before position players report next spring. In the first year of a two-year pact with Washington, McLouth hit just .173/.280/.237 with one homer in 79 games. The team signed veteran Nate Schierholtz to a minor league deal Monday, and Schierholtz may take McLouth's role as a lefty bench bat come September.

McLouth (shoulder) will undergo season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder, CSN Washington reports.

It's a rough end to the season for McLouth, who has missed most of August with the shoulder issue. He had an MRI on Monday that revealed the tear and will face a lengthy recovery process after undergoing surgery. The Nationals signed Nate Schierholtz to a minor league deal Monday, and he figures to add insurance to the outfield in McLouth's stead. The 32-year-old McLouth concludes the season batting .173 with seven RBI and 35 strikeouts in 139 at-bats.

McLouth (shoulder) has been slow to recover from treatment and underwent an enhanced MRI on Monday, Mark Zuckerman of CSNWashington.com reports.

The Nationals hope Monday's examination will reveal a clearer timetable for McLouth's recovery, but expectations of a forthcoming return should probably be tempered at this point. The Nationals signed Nate Schierholtz to a minor league contract earlier in the day Monday, making him something of an insurance option for McLouth, given his standing as a left-handed hitting reserve outfielder.

McLouth will receive a second opinion on his ailing shoulder, Mark Zuckerman of CSNwashington.com reports.

McLouth's shoulder is simply not responding to treatment as expected, so the Nats will send him for another opinion. He still has not resumed baseball activities and an estimated return timetable likely won't be established until he's cleared to do so.

McLouth (shoulder) still has not resume baseball activities, the Washington Post reports.

Manager Matt Williams said McLouth is still in the strengthening phase of his rehabilitation, effectively ruling out a return from the DL on Sunday when first eligible. The team has been adamant that McLouth's injury is not serious, but at this point, he's not looking like a lock to make it back before the end of the month.