Washington Nationals select the contract of left-handed pitcher Erik Tolman
The Washington Nationals selected the contract of left-handed pitcher Erik Tolman from Triple-A Rochester on Wednesday and optioned right-handed pitcher Yovanny Cruz to Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni made the announcement.
Tolman, 27, joins the Nationals after he struck out 42 across 31.0 innings for Triple-A Rochester in 2026. He held left-handed batters to a .179 average and struck out 15 while only allowing seven hits this season. In 14 games from May 6-July 24, he allowed only three earned runs in 13.0 innings pitched, struck out 16 batters and held opponents to a .174 average. He went 3-for-3 in save opportunities during that span. In all, Tolman went 3-2 with three saves, four holds and a 5.23 ERA for the Red Wings this season.
A native of Irvine, Calif., Tolman was selected by Washington in the 14th round of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft out of Arizona State University. Tolman has posted a 3.78 ERA with 163 strikeouts, six holds, four saves and a .211 opponents’ average in 74 games (23 starts) since 2023.