Injuries & Moves: Soto (calf tightness) day to day
Keep track of the Nationals’ recent transactions and injury updates throughout the season.
LATEST NEWS
July 4: RF Juan Soto day to day with calf tightness
Soto said the morning of July 4 that an MRI taken the previous night showed “everything was fine” after he exited the July 3 game with left calf tightness. He felt discomfort behind his knee after fielding a Bryan De La Cruz double to right field in the third inning. The tightness persisted the following frame while he was running the bases.
“It’s going to be day by day,” Soto said. “Today, I feel better and I hope I feel better tomorrow, too, and we’ll take it from there.”
Lane Thomas got the start in right field on July 4 in place of Soto. Offensively, there is no clear-cut replacement. Soto ranks first in all of baseball in walks, and he has reached base safely in eight of his last nine games played. He is hitting .346 during that stretch. -- Jessica Camerato
July 4: RHP Jackson Tetreault placed on 15-day IL
Tetreault was placed on the injured list, retroactive to July 3, with a stress fracture of the right scapula. He felt discomfort throwing and had trouble lifting his arm on Sunday, one day after allowing four runs and issuing five walks in four innings to the Marlins. Tetreault has a 2-2 record with a 5.14 ERA in four starts.
"It’s pretty frustrating, for sure,” said Tetreault, who made his Major League debut on June 14. “No one ever wants to be hurt, especially when you’re new up here and you’re trying to establish yourself and everything. I can’t help but feel like I’m squandering an opportunity. But I know I’ll be back, and when I’m healthy, I’ll get another opportunity.”
With Tetreault sidelined, the Nationals will have to determine a starter for Thursday in Philadelphia. -- Jessica Camerato
July 4: RHP Jordan Weems recalled from Triple-A Rochester
This will be Weems’ second Major League stint this season. He had his contract selected on May 31 and appeared in six games out of Washington’s bullpen, posting a 9.95 ERA.
INJURY UPDATES
10-day and 15-day IL
RHP Jackson Tetreault (stress fracture of the right scapula)
Expected return: TBD
On the IL for the first time in the bigs, Tetreault last pitched on July 2, allowing four runs on four hits and five walks over four innings. (Last updated: July 4)
RHP Víctor Arano (left knee inflammation)
Expected return: July
Arano is expected to travel to the Nationals’ training complex in West Palm Beach, Fla., to face live hitters and then begin a rehab assignment. He was placed on the 15-day IL on June 7 after exiting in the eighth inning in Cincinnati on June 5. -- Jessica Camerato (Last updated: July 3)
LHP Evan Lee (left flexor strain)
Expected return: July
Lee is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment this week at the Nats’ training complex, where he will start throwing. He was placed on the 15-day injured list on June 18 after exiting a June 17 relief appearance. -- Jessica Camerato (Last updated: July 3)
LHP Josh Rogers (left shoulder impingement)
Expected return: July
Rogers threw 3 2/3 innings in his first rehab start with Triple-A Rochester on June 30. He allowed seven runs off four hits (including three homers) and two walks. Rogers also struck out a pair. -- Jessica Camerato (Last updated: July 1)
RHP Stephen Strasburg (stress reaction of the ribs)
Expected return: TBD
There is no timetable for Strasburg’s return after he was placed on the 15-day injured list on June 14 (retroactive to June 11) with a stress reaction in his second and third ribs that is related to his thoracic outlet recovery, which sidelined him for over a year.
“He can’t do anything until he’s pain free and feeling good. He’s not there yet,” GM Mike Rizzo said June 24. “There’s no rush to kind of put a plan together.” -- Arianna Vedia and Jessica Camerato (Last updated: June 24)
60-day IL
RHP Aníbal Sánchez (cervical nerve impingement)
Expected return: TBD
Sánchez struck out seven in a turnaround rehab start with Triple-A Rochester on July 3. The veteran threw 76 pitches over 4 2/3 innings with five hits, three runs and three walks. -- Jessica Camerato (Last updated: July 4)
RHP Hunter Harvey (right pronator strain)
Expected return: TBD
Harvey threw a scoreless inning with two strikeouts on Monday in his rehab assignment with the Florida Complex League Nationals. His velocity reached the upper 90s. -- Jessica Camerato (Last updated: June 29)
RHP Will Harris (right pectoral surgery)
Expected return: TBD
Harris is throwing bullpens at a distance of 60 feet at the Nationals’ training complex in West Palm Beach, Fla. -- Jessica Camerato (Last updated: June 29)
RHP Sean Doolittle (left elbow sprain)
Expected return: TBD
Doolittle, who was placed on the IL on April 20, is throwing at a distance of 120 feet. “He says he feels really good,” manager Dave Martinez said. -- Jessica Camerato (Last updated: June 22)
RHP Joe Ross (right elbow surgery)
Expected return: 2023
Ross underwent Tommy John surgery for the second time in his career on June 10. The procedure was performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles. -- Jessica Camerato (Last updated: June 10)
3B Carter Kieboom (right forearm flexor mass/ulnar collateral ligament strain)
Expected return: 2023
Kieboom underwent successful Tommy John surgery on May 27. Manager Dave Martinez said the club is eyeing Kieboom’s return to full health in time for Spring Training 2023. “Surgery went well,” Martinez said Saturday. “He says he feels as good as expected. They thought everything went well so now it's just about resting and getting him on a program to start rehabbing as soon as possible. It's a long road ahead of him. He's got to put the work in." -- Byron Kerr (Last updated: May 28)
LHP Seth Romero (left calf strain)
Expected return: First half of season
Romero was sidelined by a stiff back during Spring Training. On April 7, he was recalled and placed on the 60-day IL because of a left calf strain. A first-round pick in the 2017 MLB Draft by Washington, Romero has appeared in three games on the Major League level, most recently in ‘20. -- Jessica Camerato (Last updated: April 7)