Washington Nationals DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

Nationals left-hander DJ Herz (elbow) will begin the season on the 15-day injured list with a UCL sprain. Herz was optioned to Triple-A Rochester last Friday after dealing with a "dead arm" this spring. He showed a high ceiling with a 10.7 K/9 in 88 2/3 innings with the Nats last year with a 4.16 ERA and 3.71 FIP. This spring, though, his velocity was down, and he managed just four strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings while walking nine and giving up nine runs. Hopefully, this injury explains his issues, and when he recovers, he'll be back to full strength. That could be a while, though, since he'll have to be shut down and then ramp back up. He still has long-term potential, but going on the IL moves any potential impact to later in the season.

Washington Nationals right-handed pitcher Derek Law (elbow) is not expected to be ready for Opening Day. According to Spencer Nusbaum of the Washington Post, Law believes he will be placed on the 15-day injured list to begin the season. Law has been slowly increasing his workload during camp after battling an elbow injury last season that has continued to linger. Last season, the 24-year-old held a 2.60 ERA with a 1.18 WHIP. Across this stint, Law tallied just 76 strikeouts but showed strong command as he served up walks at a solid 6.6 percent rate. He also generated an elite 3.8 percent barrel rate and a 35.2 percent hard-hit rate. When Law returns to action, fantasy managers should expect him to be a reliable source of holds, as he tallied 17 last season while typically pitching in the seventh inning.

Washington Nationals starting pitcher DJ Herz has been optioned to Triple-A Rochester on Friday. An interesting development as the Nats have decided to roll with Mitchell Parker as their fifth starter to begin the season. Herz wasn't great last season, but he did have some solid moments with the Nats. Herz posted a 4.16 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and 106/36 K/BB ratio across 19 starts with the Nats in 2024. Obviously, Herz won't offer fantasy value in the minors, but dynasty managers should continue to hold the southpaw. He does have decent potential and should get another chance in the Nats rotation at some point this upcoming season.

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Shinnosuke Ogasawara has been optioned to Triple-A Rochester. The left-hander signed a two-year, $3.5 million deal with the Nats this offseason. Before that, Ogasawara was posting solid numbers in Japan. This past season, Ogasawara 3.12 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 82/22 K/BB ratio across 24 appearances with the Chunichi Dragons. The expectation is that the 27-year-old will contribute to the Nats pitching staff at some point. For now, the Nats want him to continue getting in more work at the minor league level.

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Cade Cavalli (elbow) is scheduled to face live hitters on Thursday. This marks the first time that Cavalli has faced batters this spring. The 26-year-old continues to work his way back from Tommy John surgery he had two seasons ago. The right-hander is likely to begin the season on the injured list while he continues to rehab his elbow. After that, Cavalli is likely to ramp up activities in the minors before possibly joining the Nats rotation.