The Washington Nationals returned left-handed pitcher DJ Herz from rehab assignment and reinstated him from the 60-day Injured List on Monday and optioned right-handed pitcher Jared Simpson to Triple-A Rochester on Sunday. Additionally, the Nationals requested unconditional release waivers on right-handed pitcher Cole Henry on Monday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni made the announcements.
Herz, 23, is set to make his first start when he takes the mound against the Detroit Tigers this evening. He missed the entire 2025 season recovering from Tommy John surgery. In 10 rehab games this year, Herz posted a 3.16 ERA (9 ER/25.2 IP) with 30 strikeouts and a .198 opponents’ average. He returns to the mound for the first time since Sept. 25, 2024 against the Kansas City Royals.
A native of Fayetteville, N.C., Herz was acquired by Washington via trade from Chicago (NL) on July 31, 2023. He made his Major League debut with Washington on June 4, 2024 against the Mets. In 19 career Major League starts, he has pitched to a 4.16 ERA with 106 strikeouts across 88.2 innings of work, including a 6.0 scoreless inning, 13-strikeout performance against the Miami Marlins on June 15, 2024.