Nationals Shut Down DJ Herz With Flexor Muscle Pressure

Nationals left-hander DJ Herz suffered a setback in his restoration from final 12 months’s Tommy John process. Skipper Blake Butera informed reporters (together with Byron Kerr of MLB.com) that the southpaw has been pulled off his rehab task after struggling a flexor muscle pressure.

The silver lining is that the present difficulty is muscular fairly than renewed ligament harm. That makes it unlikely he’ll want surgical procedure or have anyplace close to the identical layoff as he did getting back from the UCL harm. It’s nonetheless a irritating setback that leaves Herz and not using a clear timeline for return.

Herz is already on the 60-day injured checklist, so this gained’t have any rapid roster implications. He’d begun a rehab task firstly of June and would possibly’ve been again across the All-Star Break if that buildup had gone easily. He’ll clearly be out into the season’s second half at this level, although the Nationals haven’t specified after they anticipate him again.

A Cubs draftee, Herz was in Double-A when the Nats acquired him as a part of the 2023 Jeimer Candelario deadline commerce. He debuted the next season and had a few of the greatest swing-and-miss stuff on the workers as a rookie. Herz struck out nearly 28% of opponents whereas working to a 4.16 earned run common over his first 18 MLB begins.

Washington enters play right now with a 41-38 document that has them share factors behind the Padres and Cubs for the NL’s final Wild Card spot. It’s a stunning spot for a group that appeared likelier to be among the many backside 5 in MLB than to make the playoffs. They’re nearing the midway level because the league’s highest-scoring offense, no less than partially overlaying for a pitching workers that has allowed the fourth-most runs within the league.

Cade Cavalli and free agent pickup Foster Griffin have been the group’s solely dependable starters. Lefty Andrew Alvarez has gotten respectable outcomes since drawing into the beginning 5 firstly of June, however the Nats have but to let him transcend 4 innings. Zack Littell, Miles Mikolas and the at the moment injured Jake Irvin have all been ineffective.

There’s a path for Herz to issue into that blend if he’s absolutely wholesome. Even when this setback limits his time to construct up as a starter, he may support a bullpen that can also be among the many worst within the Majors. Nationals relievers are twenty fourth in ERA and final in strikeout fee. The latter quantity is skewed to an extent by them pitching Mikolas behind an opener nearly each time, however Clayton Beeter is their solely reliever with an above-average strikeout fee. Journeyman Richard Lovelady is their high lefty bullpen arm.