Washington Nationals DVOA, Stats, & MLB Rankings

The Washington Nationals placed right-handed pitcher Mason Thompson (elbow) on the 60-day injured list. This transaction opened a roster spot for right-handed pitcher Lucas Sims, who the team signed earlier on Wednesday. Earlier in the offseason, manager Dave Martinez expressed optimism about the right-hander, but Thompson was unable to progress enough. As a result, fantasy managers should not expect him to return to the mound until late May. Thompson is still recovering from the Tommy John surgery he underwent in March 2024. During the 2023 campaign, Thompson posted a 5.50 ERA and a 1.56 WHIP across 54 innings. He tallied just 44 punchouts. When healthy, fantasy managers should expect Thompson to have a low-leverage role in the Washington bullpen.

The Toronto Blue Jays announced earlier this week that they signed free-agent right-hander Jacob Barnes to a minor-league deal that includes an invite to major-league spring training. Barnes heads to the American League East after appearing in 63 games out of the bullpen for the Washington Nationals in 2024. He went 8-3 in his 66 innings while also posting a 4.36 ERA (4.38 FIP) and 1.32 WHIP with 55 strikeouts and 20 free passes allowed. The 34-year-old will now compete for a bullpen role for Toronto to open the 2025 regular season, but he's more likely to begin the season with Triple-A Buffalo. Barnes was originally a 14th-round draft pick by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2011 out of Florida Gulf Coast University. He made his MLB debut with Milwaukee in 2016 and has a career 4.68 ERA and 1.39 WHIP with seven saves in nine big-league campaigns.

Washington Nationals left-hander MacKenzie Gore will start the team's Grapefruit League opener on Saturday against the Houston Astros. Gore and right-hander Jake Irvin figure to be the top candidates to start on Opening Day of the regular season as well. The 25-year-old southpaw was a bit better for the Nats in his second season with the team in 2024, going 10-12 with a career-best 3.90 ERA (3.53 FIP) and 1.42 WHIP with a career-high 181 strikeouts and 65 walks in 166 1/3 innings over 32 starts. He continues to refine his repertoire and could be even better for Washington in 2025, considering hitters had a very high .340 BABIP against him. In order to take the next step, though, Gore will need to show better control of all of his pitches. At the start of spring training games this week, RotoBaller has him ranked as the No. 69 fantasy starting pitcher.

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Robert Garcia (forearm) completed a bullpen session on Tuesday. The 28-year-old has been dealing with forearm irritation during the early part of spring training and has been slightly behind the other pitchers. However, seeing him return to the mound earlier on Tuesday is a positive sign for his status. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status in case he faces a setback. Earlier in the offseason, the Rangers acquired Garcia from the Washington Nationals in exchange for first baseman Nathaniel Lowe. Last summer, Garcia posted a 4.22 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP across 59 2/3 innings. He struck out 75 batters and served up 16 free passes. Under the hood, he generated a stellar 2.53 xERA and a 30.2 percent hard-hit rate, placing him in the 97th percentile. When healthy, Garcia will compete for a high-leverage role in the Texas bullpen.

Washington Nationals manager Dave Martinez said that outfielder James Wood (quadriceps) has left-quadriceps tendinitis at camp. The injury doesn't bother Wood when he hits, so he was able to take batting practice on Tuesday and run the bases, but he didn't take part in outfield drills. The Washington Post's Andrew Golden writes that the team is just being cautious. The 22-year-old rising left-handed slugger might serve as the designated hitter initially in Grapefruit League games, but his injury shouldn't put him in danger of missing Opening Day in late March. The former second-round pick made his big-league debut in 2024 and hit .264/.354/.426 with a .781 OPS, nine home runs, 41 RBI and 14 stolen bases in 79 games. Wood struck out nearly 30% of the time in 2024, but his raw-power upside as an everyday player makes him a top-20 fantasy outfielder entering the 2025 campaign.