Washington Nationals DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

The Washington Nationals are waiting to decide on who their starter will be on Sunday against the Arizona Diamondbacks, but MASN's Mark Zuckerman reports that if rookie right-hander Brad Lord isn't needed out of the bullpen before then, he could make his first career start. Lord, who is considered the team's No. 22 prospect per MLB Pipeline, made the Opening Day roster for the first time and has allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits while walking two and striking out none in two innings in his first three major-league appearances. The reason the Nats need a starter for Sunday's series finale against Arizona is because right-hander Michael Soroka (biceps) landed on the injured list on Friday. If Lord makes the start this weekend, fantasy managers will want to stay away since he won't be efficiently stretched out to go very deep in that contest.

The Texas Rangers have placed starting pitching prospect Jack Leiter (finger) on the 15-day injured list due to a blister. In a corresponding move, the Rangers promoted veteran left-handed pitcher Patrick Corbin from Triple-A Round Rock. Leiter was able to earn a spot in the starting rotation out of camp. After struggling during his first taste of the big leagues last summer, Leiter was able to start turning the corner in 2025. Across his first two outings, the former second overall pick logged 10 innings of one-run ball. He allowed six hits and held a stellar 1:10 BB:K. Fantasy managers should continue to stash Leiter on an injured reserve spot on their roster as Leiter should rejoin the rotation once cleared to return. Corbin will likely earn a temporary spot in the rotation but should not be targeted in any formats as he held a high 5.62 ERA across 174 2/3 innings last season.

Washington Nationals outfieldprospect Robert Hassell III went 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI, two runs scored, and a stolen base on Tuesday for Triple-A Rochester. That makes him 5-for-14 (.357) over his firstthree games of 2025. The 23-year-old showed well in spring training with the Nats but was unable to break camp with the big leagueclub. Dylan Crews, who did make the Nationals' Opening Day roster, is 0-for-15 to begin the season with 10 strikeouts, ultimately getting a breather on Tuesday to hopefullyregroup. If he doesn't start to hit and Hassell continues to do so, it will be interesting to see if Washington gives him a shot to make his MLB debut. Hassell is a former eighth-overall draft pick who hit for a high averagebefore joiningthe Nationals' organization in 2022, but has flashed speed regardless of where he has been, swiping 15 bags in 2024 betweenDouble and Triple-A in just 85 games. Were he to get the call, the left-handed hitter could be worthy of a benchstash, but managers may want to hold off on deploying him until he shows he's a capable major leaguer.

Washington Nationals outfielder Dylan Crews will head to the bench for Tuesday's contest against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Alex Call is starting in right field in his place and will hit eighth against Blue Jays right-hander Jose Berrios. The Nationals are giving Crews an early mental break after the former second overall pick in 2023 out of LSU has started his first full year in the big leagues by going 0-for-15 at the plate with a steal, run scored, one walk and 10 strikeouts in his first four games. While it's still early, fantasy managers hoping Crews would contribute nicely across most categories this year have to be at least a little bit concerned. Call will be making his season debut on Tuesday after hitting .343 (34-for-99) with three homers, 14 RBI and five steals in just 30 games for Washington a season ago. Call has never faced Berrios in his career.

Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood went 2-for-3 with a homer and a walk in a 5-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday. Wood launched a solo homer off Bowden Francis in the sixth inning to give him his first round-tripper of the young season. The young outfielder is off to a decent start through four games in 2025, picking up four hits including a homer and a double across 15 at-bats. Wood has elite potential as a power/speed threat in fantasy and could emerge as a top fantasy asset if he breaks out this season.