Player News

• Nationals' Robert Hassell: Gets spot on 40-man roster

  11/19/2024 • By RotoWire

  The Nationals selected Hassell's contract from Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports. Hassell's star has faded since he was viewed as a top-100 prospect a year ago, as he managed just a .241/.319/.328 batting line over 85 games covering three levels during the 2024 minor-league season. However, the 23-year-old is still viewed highly enough that the Nationals didn't want to expose him to the Rule 5 Draft.

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• Nationals' Robert Hassell: Heading to Triple-A

  09/02/2024 • By RotoWire

  The Nationals promoted Hassell from Double-A Harrisburg to Triple-A Rochester on Monday, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports. Hassell missed nearly two months of action earlier this summer with a right hand injury and had struggled to shake off the rust upon returning from Harrisburg's injured list Aug. 20. Though he slashed just .238/.306/.381 with two home runs and one stolen base in 11 games following his return to the Double-A lineup, Hassell will nonetheless be awarded his first promotion to the Triple-A level for the final three weeks of the season. Rochester likely had an opening in its everyday outfield for Hassell after the Nationals recently called up prospects Dylan Crews and Darren Baker from Triple-A.

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• Nationals' Robert Hassell: Raking at Double-A

  05/09/2024 • By RotoWire

  Hassell was named the Eastern League Player of the Week on Monday, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports. The 22-year-old outfielder has been on a heater longer than just one week, however. Hassell has nine multi-hit performances in the last 14 games for Double-A Harrisburg, slashing .434/.508/.585 over that stretch with two homers, nine steals in 10 attempts and a 7:12 BB:K. The improvement in his plate discipline is especially noteworthy -- in 106 games for Harrisburg last season he had a 31.9 percent strikeout rate, a number he's cut down to 19.3 percent through 24 contests in 2024. A promotion to Triple-A for Hassell should be coming shortly, but the Nationals might be waiting to bump James Wood up to the majors to open up a starting job in the outfield at Rochester.

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• Nationals' Robert Hassell: Will get another crack at AFL

  09/22/2023 • By RotoWire

  Hassell will play in the Arizona Fall League this October, Jonathan Mayo and Sam Dykstra of MLB.com report. The 22-year-old has seen his prospect status dim significantly in 2023 after he stumbled to a combined .221/.324/.321 slash line over 121 games between High-A and Double-A, and Hassell's decline began when he broken the hamate bone in his wrist in last year's AFL. He has shown signs of life at the plate late in the season for Double-A Harrisburg however, slashing .281/.349/.351 in September with a marginally improved 25.4 percent strikeout rate, and a strong showing in Arizona could get his career back on track.

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• Nationals' Robert Hassell: Struggling at Double-A

  07/14/2023 • By RotoWire

  Hassell is hitting .227 with three home runs, nine steals and a 32.2 percent strikeout rate in 52 games for Double-A Harrisburg. Hassell's 27.9 percent hard-hit rate and 14.3 percent soft-hit rate are solid marks for a player who projects as a leadoff or No. 2 hitter. Unfortunately, his plate skills appear to have really backed up since his 2022 run at High-A, before he was included in the package San Diego sent to Washington for Juan Soto.

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