Washington Nationals relief pitcher Will Harris (neck) had a follow-up procedure last Thursday to remove scar tissue from last year's thoracic outlet surgery, and he won't be able to resume throwing for three to four weeks. However, the Nationals think that will be the last hurdle that Harris will have to overcome. The 37-year-old right-hander experienced some lingering issues this spring and will begin the season on the injured list. Harris was only able to throw six innings last year and allowed six earned runs while striking out nine and walking three in eight relief outings. But he has a 2.94 career ERA and 1.11 WHIP in 10 major league seasons and should be a key piece of the team's bullpen when he's ready to return.

Washington Nationals relief pitcher Will Harris (shoulder), who has made just one spring training appearance back on March 19, said on Monday that he's having lingering issues following surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome last summer. That doesn't sound good, and we can bet that the 37-year-old right-hander will open the season on the injured list. Harris, an All-Star back in 2016 with the Houston Astros, tossed only six innings and allowed six earned runs due to thoracic outlet issues last season. He has 21 career saves and a 2.94 ERA in 10 big-league seasons and was set to be a valuable middle-relief arm for the Nats this year. Kyle Finnegan is Washington's projected closer to open the 2022 campaign.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Kyle Schwarber limped into the Washington Nationals' dugout on Saturday with a heavy wrap poking out of the right side of his shorts. Schwarber was in shower shoes and trying to be upbeat when meeting with reporters after being placed on the 10-day injured list because of a right hamstring strain. There is no timetable for his return. “It’s not the best, but not the worst,” Schwarber said. “Just got to take it for what it is.” He was among the hottest hitters in the majors, bashing 16 home runs in June, seven of them leading off games. All were critical for the Nationals, who went 19-9 in the month to turn their season around. Schwarber said he does not need a procedure to repair damage to his hamstring. Instead, he will use compression treatment to reduce swelling. Rest and strengthening exercises will follow. He has not had a hamstring injury previously. Schwarber tore two ligaments in his left knee in 2016. But a furious recovery pace allowed him to rejoin the Chicago... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Nationals placed staff ace Max Scherzer on the 10-day injured list with a groin problem. The team announced the move Tuesday, saying it was retroactive to Sunday. Scherzer “tweaked” his groin in the first inning during his start on Saturday. He warmed up in the outfield Monday before beginning a bullpen session, which was expected to be 31 pitches. Scherzer threw 10 pitches, then stopped, saying the groin issue prevented him from driving through his pitches. Scherzer was scheduled to pitch Wednesday in the finale of a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Nationals considered pushing his start back as opposed to placing the three-time Cy Young winner on the injured list, but opted for the 10-day stint away from the field. “For me, it was after going through the process, I just want to be more cautious than not,” Nationals manager Davey Martinez said. “This is an injury right now that’s getting better. We want it to completely get better.”... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Nationals placed staff ace Max Scherzer on the 10-day injured list with a groin problem. The team announced the move Tuesday, saying it was retroactive to Sunday. Scherzer “tweaked” his groin in the first inning during his start on Saturday. He warmed up in the outfield Monday before beginning a bullpen session, which was expected to be 31 pitches. Scherzer threw 10 pitches, then stopped, saying the groin issue prevented him from driving through his pitches. Scherzer was scheduled to pitch Wednesday in the finale of a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Nationals considered pushing his start back as opposed to placing the three-time Cy Young winner on the injured list, but opted for the 10-day stint away from the field. “For me, it was after going through the process, I just want to be more cautious than not,” Nationals manager Davey Martinez said. “This is an injury right now that’s getting better. We want it to completely get better.”... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Nationals placed right-handed reliever Daniel Hudson on the 10-day injured list with right elbow inflammation on Saturday. Hudson has a 4-1 record with a 2.95 ERA and 35 strikeouts in 23 games. He joined the Nationals in a midseason trade with Toronto in 2019 and recorded the final three outs in Game 7 of the World Series a few months later. Hudson does have a history of injuries, including two Tommy John surgeries between 2012 and 2013 while with Arizona. “We just figured it would be smart to shut it down for a couple days,” Hudson said. “With my injury history there was some cause for concern for me. I don’t have any concerns long term. Hopefully it’s just short term.” In his last appearance on June 9, Hudson threw 31 pitches in 1 2/3 innings in a win at Tampa Bay. Manager Dave Martinez said Hudson had an MRI on Friday that only showed inflammation. The move is retroactive to June 10. The Nationals made a few other moves ahead of Saturday’s doubleheader... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Nationals placed outfielder Victor Robles on the 10-day injured list on Sunday with a sprained right ankle. The move is retroactive to Wednesday. Robles is hitting .246 with five RBIs in 39 games. The team did not announce a corresponding move. Washington also placed right-handed pitcher Will Harris on the 10-day injured list with right hand inflammation. Harris is 0-1 with a 9.00 ERA in eight appearances this season. The Nationals recalled right-hander Kyle McGowin from Triple-A Rochester to take Harris’ place on the roster. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Nationals reinstated outfielder Juan Soto from the 10-day injured list on Tuesday, but last year's NL batting champion will be limited to pinch-hitting duty for now. Washington also reinstated right-handed reliever Will Harris from the IL, optioned right-hander Kyle McGowin to Triple-A Rochester and designated utilityman Hernán Pérez for assignment ahead of Tuesday's opener of a three-game series against NL East rival Atlanta. Soto has missed 10 games with a strained left shoulder. Manager Dave Martinez said the injury no longer bothers Soto while hitting, but he is not yet ready to play the outfield. “To have his kind of bat readily available to pinch hit, it's kind of nice,” Martinez said. Soto is hitting .300 with two homers and eight RBIs in 14 games. He batted an NL-best .351 in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Martinez did not provide a timetable for when Soto would return to right field but said he likely would be the designated hitter during this... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Juan Soto, the reigning NL batting champion, is on the 10-day injured list. So is Stephen Strasburg, the 2019 World Series MVP. Key relievers Will Harris and Wander Suero, too. Jon Lester has yet to make his debut since arriving as a free agent. That’s just a sampling of the ways in which things already have not gone according to plan for the Washington Nationals in the early going of 2021 — and that substantial list doesn’t even include the COVID-19 outbreak that sidelined nine players on opening day, more than a third of the roster. “We’ve had a lot thrown at us the first couple weeks of the season,” reliever Daniel Hudson said. And yet Washington will head into the start of a three-game series at the NL East rival New York Mets on Friday with a 7-9 record. Certainly not where the Nationals want to be — “I’d much prefer being 9-7 or above .500,” manager Dave Martinez said — but thanks to a 6-4 stretch, it looks a lot better than the 1-5 mark with which they began. The... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — As the Washington Nationals, and their opponents, the Atlanta Braves, lined up for pregame introductions Tuesday, they stood near “OPENING WEEK” stencils in white paint beside the green-as-can-be grass along the baselines. Who could have known it would take nearly a full week into the 2021 regular season before the coronavirus-hit Nationals would play — and, it turned out, beat Atlanta 6-5? And who could have imagined that the stadium announcer's enthusiastic shout to spectators — yes, 5,000 were permitted, socially distanced, after being banned last season, and 4,801 showed up — presenting “Your 2021 Washington Nationals!” would be rather misleading, because more than a third of what was supposed to be the 26-man roster was absent? “Just to have that atmosphere back here at Nationals Park, it was welcome,” Max Scherzer said after giving up a homer on the first pitch of the game and four solo shots in all during the initial three innings. “I don’t understand why we can't... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — As the Washington Nationals, and their opponents, the Atlanta Braves, lined up for pregame introductions Tuesday, they stood near “OPENING WEEK” stencils in white paint beside the green-as-can-be grass along the baselines. Who could have known it would take nearly a full week into the 2021 regular season before the coronavirus-hit Nationals would play? And who could have imagined that the stadium announcer's enthusiastic shout to spectators — yes, 5,000 were permitted, socially distanced, after being banned last season — presenting “Your 2021 Washington Nationals!” would be rather misleading, because more than a third of what was supposed to be the 26-man roster was absent? The Nationals finally got started five days later than they were supposed to, delayed because of an outbreak in which four players tested positive for COVID-19 and seven others were told to quarantine after contact tracing deemed they potentially were exposed to the illness. “Obviously they want to... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Starting pitchers Jon Lester and Patrick Corbin, closer Brad Hand and four position players expected in the lineup — left fielder Kyle Schwarber, first baseman Josh Bell, second baseman Josh Harrison and catcher Yan Gomes — were put on the 10-day injured list by the Washington Nationals on Tuesday. Backup catcher Alex Avila and reserve infielder Jordy Mercer also went on the IL before Washington played its first game of the season at home against the Atlanta Braves. The Nationals' first four games on the schedule were postponed because of a coronavirus outbreak within the team. Four players tested positive for COVID-19, and an additional seven were placed under quarantine after contact tracing found that they might have been exposed to the illness. The Nationals have not publicly identified the 11 players involved. The team's announcement of those nine players on the IL did not specify why they are sidelined. A 10th player who was put on the injured list on Tuesday, reliever... [More]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Washington Nationals reliever Will Harris has a blood clot in his right arm and is leaving spring training camp to be examined by a specialist, manager Dave Martinez said Friday. “I don’t know much about what’s going to happen here. But for me, when somebody mentions something like that, it’s kind of a scary deal,” Martinez said. “Until we know more about it, then I got to assume that he’s going to not start with us this season.” Opening day is April 1, less than two weeks away. “He felt weird his last outing," Martinez said. "So we kind of backed off a little bit, got an MRI, and in the arm was a little small blood clot.” The 36-year-old Harris last pitched in an exhibition game on March 9, throwing one scoreless inning against the Houston Astros. The right-hander appeared in a “B game” on Saturday. “Medically, I don’t know the extent of what that is. But I know it’s something that is serious,” Martinez said. “We need to take care of it. Take care of it as... [More]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Washington Nationals reliever Will Harris has a blood clot in his right arm and is leaving spring training camp to be examined by a specialist, manager Dave Martinez said Friday. “I don’t know much about what’s going to happen here. But for me, when somebody mentions something like that, it’s kind of a scary deal,” Martinez said. “Until we know more about it, then I got to assume that he’s going to not start with us this season.” Opening day is April 1, less than two weeks away. “He felt weird his last outing," Martinez said. "So we kind of backed off a little bit, got an MRI, and in the arm was a little small blood clot.” The 36-year-old Harris last pitched in an exhibition game on March 9, throwing one scoreless inning against the Houston Astros. The right-hander appeared in a “B game” on Saturday. “Medically, I don’t know the extent of what that is. But I know it’s something that is serious,” Martinez said. “We need to take care of it. Take care of it as... [More]

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Jeremy Jeffress was released by the Washington Nationals on Sunday for what general manager Mike Rizzo called unspecified “personnel reasons,” less than two weeks after the reliever agreed to terms on a minor league deal. The team sent out a six-word tweet announcing the move. Rizzo released a statement about the right-hander via a team spokesman that did not offer an explanation, saying only: “He was released for personnel reasons.” The Washington Post first reported that the Nationals were parting ways with Jeffress, who was expected to add to a back end of a Nationals bullpen that already included Brad Hand, Daniel Hudson, Will Harris and Tanner Rainey. The 33-year-old Jeffress was taken by Milwaukee in the first round pick of the 2006 amateur draft and has pitched for five teams over 11 years in the majors. He was an NL All-Star in 2018 for the Brewers. Last season, Jeffress went 4-1 with a 1.54 ERA and eight saves in 10 chances for the Chicago Cubs. More than a decade ago, Jeffress was suspended twice for violating the minor league drug treatment and prevention program. He has said he used marijuana to manage a severe case of anxiety and he was diagnosed with juvenile epilepsy in 2013. ___ More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

WASHINGTON (AP) — Brad Hand knows his fastball's speed declined more than 2 mph over the past two seasons. So the Washington Nationals' new reliever is trying to reverse that trend. “It helped me out a lot just being able to know I can pitch at that range,” said Hand, whose fastball averaged 91.4 mph last year. "Obviously, I don’t want to pitch at that range — I’m trying to get that back up — but I just had to learn how to pitch more, you know what I mean? The lefty finalized a $10.5 million, one-year contract with the Nationals on Tuesday, giving the team more strength and flexibility in the back end of its bullpen. The deal includes $6.5 million in salary that will be deferred without interest. The deferred money will come in payments of $1.5 million due next Jan. 15, $3.5 million due Jan. 15, 2023, and $1.5 million due Jan. 15, 2024. Even with his fastball velocity down during the pandemic-truncated 2020 season for the Cleveland Indians, the 30-year-old Hand led the majors with 16 saves... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Left-handed reliever Brad Hand finalized a $10.5 million, one-year contract with the Washington Nationals on Tuesday, giving the team more strength and flexibility in the back end of its bullpen. The deal includes $6.5 million in salary that will be deferred without interest. The deferred money will come in payments due $1.5 million next Jan. 15, $3.5 million on Jan. 15, 2023, and $1.5 million on Jan. 15, 2024. The 30-year-old Hand led the majors with 16 saves during the pandemic-truncated 2020 season for the Cleveland Indians, compiling a 2.05 ERA, .169 opponents' batting average, 29 strikeouts and four walks in 22 innings over 23 appearances. He did not allow a home run last season. Cleveland declined Hand’s $10 million option after last season, triggering a $1 million buyout and making him a free agent eligible to sign with any major league club. Hand’s fastball velocity has decreased more than 2 mph the past two seasons and averaged 91.4 mph last year. Hand is a three-time... [More]

WASHINGTON (AP) — All-Star closer Brad Hand has agreed to a deal with the Washington Nationals, according to a person with knowledge of the deal. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Sunday because the contract was still not official and is pending the successful completion of a physical exam. The 30-year-old left-hander is poised to become Washington’s closer after leading the majors with 16 saves during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Hand joins the back end of the bullpen that already includes Will Harris, Daniel Hudson and Tanner Rainey. After tying for last place in the NL East, the Nationals have acquired Hand, starter Jon Lester (pending a physical), slugger Kyle Schwarber and first baseman Josh Bell. They also brought back the organization's longest tenured player, Ryan Zimmerman, after he opted out in 2020. Cleveland declined Hand's $10 million option after last season. Multiple reports have indicated his agreement with the Nationals is one year... [More]

Rays manager Kevin Cash stepped out of the dugout, and Blake Snell turned his head to curse. So too, no doubt, did fans watching on TV back in Tampa, Florida. Cash pulled Snell after 73 pitches and 5 1/3 sterling innings Tuesday night, turning Game 6 of the World Series over to his vaunted bullpen — a move that backfired immediately as the Los Angeles Dodgers rallied for a 3-1 victory to wrap up their first championship in 32 years. “I guess I regret it because it didn’t work out,” Cash said, later adding, “personally, I thought Blake had done his job and then some.” Cash was immediately criticized — by fans, broadcasters and players around the majors. “So who gets to pull the manager?” Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard tweeted. The decision, driven by advanced analytics, could come to define Cash, just as past pitching moves have followed other managers when they didn’t work out. A look back at other October mishaps: ___ 1951 NL PENNANT PLAYOFF GAME 3 Who knows? Bobby Thomson’s famed “Shot... [More]

CINCINNATI (AP) — Slumping Jesse Winker hit a three-run homer — one of four off White Sox starter Jonathan Stiever — and the Cincinnati Reds extended their surge into playoff contention with a 7-1 win Friday night for their season-high sixth victory in a row. The Reds moved to .500 (26-26) for the first time since Aug. 3. Their winning streak has them in playoff position, in second place in the NL Central behind the Cubs. The AL Central-leading White Sox clinched their first playoff berth since 2008 with a win over the Twins on Thursday night. Their momentum hit a snag as Stiever (0-1) got hit hard in his first major league road appearance. The 23-year-old right-hander allowed Winker’s shot and solo homers by Joey Votto, Nick Castellanos and Tucker Barnhart. Tyler Mahle (2-2) got his first win since Aug. 28, allowing four hits and fanning eight in 5 2/3 innings. CARDINALS 6, PIRATES 5, 1st game PITTSBURGH (AP) — Kolten Wong hit the second leadoff home run of his career, Tyler O’Neill added... [More]