Washington Nationals DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

The Washington Nationals optioned pitching prospect Jackson Rutledge to Triple-A Rochester on Wednesday after a spring that saw him post a 3.00 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, and a 10:14 BB:K in 15 innings of work. The righty had moved to the bullpen earlier in the month in hopes of unlocking some extra velocity and effectiveness, but the move wasn't enough to helphim stick with the big league club. The 6-foot-8 hurler has made a handfulof startsfor the Nationals over the lastcouple of seasons, but it remainsto be seen whether he'll stay in the rotation at Triple-A or fill a relief role. Regardless, until he's back in the big leagues pitching meaningful innings, the former first-round draft pick is not relevant for fantasy.

Washington Nationals third baseman Jose Tena has won a bench job on the Opening Day roster, reports Andrew Golden. He didn't have an exceptional spring, batting just .156 with a 28.0% strikeout rate in 50 plate appearances. In 2024, he slashed .267/.298/.354 with three home runs in 44 major league games. He isn't likely to see consistent playing time and hasn't shown any potential in terms of fantasy, so he's safe to keep off of your radar.

Washington Nationals first baseman Juan Yepez did not make the Opening Day roster out of spring training and will begin the 2025 season at Triple-A Rochester, a source told ElExtraBase's Daniel Alvarez-Montes. Yepez wasn't able to stand out in the Grapefruit League by hitting .244 (11-for-45) with one double, no homers, five RBI and two runs scored in 19 contests. The 27-year-old Venezuelan was much more impressive in his first season with the Nats in 2024, slashing .283/.335/.429 with a .764 OPS, six home runs and 26 RBI in 62 games played. If Yepez isn't hitting, he's not much use to Washington, as he doesn't stand out on defense and is mainly an option at either first base or designated hitter. There's just not much upside here for fantasy purposes, as Yepez is most likely to be a bench bat with below-average power whenever he returns to the majors.

The Washington Nationals announced on Wednesday that they have moved left-hander DJ Herz (elbow) to the 60-day injured list to make room for right-handed pitching prospect Brad Lord on the major-league roster. Herz is dealing with a sprained UCL in his left elbow and now won't be able to make his 2025 season debut until at least June. Depending on how the 24-year-old southpaw recovers, there's a chance we won't see him at all this year. It's a big blow to the former eighth-round pick of the Chicago Cubs in 2019 after he made his major-league debut in D.C. last year. In his first 19 starts in the majors, Herz went 4-9 with a 4.16 ERA (3.71 FIP) and 1.26 WHIP with 106 strikeouts and 36 walks in 88 2/3 innings. With the possibility of missing most or all of 2025, Herz should only be stashed in deep dynasty/keeper formats.

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Cade Cavalli (elbow) will begin the regular season on the 15-day injured list. The right-hander continues to ramp up his activities while he recovers from Tommy John surgery. Cavalli missed all of 2023 and only pitched in three games last season. Despite that, the Nationals still have high hopes for the former first-round pick. The hope is that Cavalli can contribute to the Nats roster at some point during the first half of the season. For now, Cavalli will ramp up in the minor leagues, so he'll be off the fantasy radar.