MLB Player News

Chaparro is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Padres.

Chaparro still appears to be locked into a regular spot in the lineup versus left-handed pitching, but his playing time against righties is trending down following the recent return of James Wood from the injured list. The Nationals will keep Chaparro on the bench Monday for the third time in their last four games matchups against a right-handed starter (Nick Pivetta).

Nunez is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Padres.

Since the start of August, Nunez has produced a lowly .112/.171/.122 slash line over 31 games, and his playing time has begun to take a hit as a result. He'll take a seat for the third time in six contests while the Nationals go with Jorbit Vivas and CJ Abrams as their starters in the middle infield. Though Nunez continues to lead the majors with 45 stolen bases, fantasy managers could have difficulty extracting much value from him if he fades into more of a part-time role down the stretch.

Early (elbow) will make an appearance in a bridge game Tuesday at the Nationals' spring training complex in Florida, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports.

Though it will not go down as an official appearance, Early will be pitching in a game for the first time since he went down with left elbow inflammation in early July. It's unclear how many pitches Early is scheduled to throw Tuesday, but he will likely require at least one additional rehab start before joining the big-league rotation. Early was acquired from the Red Sox at the trade deadline and will be making his Nationals debut when he gets into a game.

The Nationals recalled Cruz from Triple-A Rochester on Monday.

In six appearances for the Nationals this season, Cruz has allowed five runs with a 4:5 K:BB across four innings of work. The hard-throwing reliever has the upside to work his way into high-leverage situations, but he'll need to earn those opportunities.

The Nationals placed Ribalta on the 15-day injured list Monday due to right forearm inflammation.

Ribalta hadn't appeared in a game since Tuesday before reporting forearm discomfort prior to Sunday's 7-5 loss to the Dodgers, per Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com. According to Zuckerman, the Nationals are still awaiting the results of Ribalta's MRI, but the club had already concluded that his forearm injury was enough of a concern to force him to the shelf. He'll be eligible to come off the IL later this month, but it's possible that his 2026 campaign is over.

Millas will return to Washington, D.C. this week to receive a second opinion on his fractured left index finger and is likely to require surgery, Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic reports.

Millas fractured the same finger last August and needed surgery, and though he was hopeful to avoid a procedure after breaking the digit back on July 11, he hasn't healed as anticipated and will likely need to go under the knife again. Before a decision is made on his next steps, Millas will meet with a specialist. Prior to landing on the injured list, Millas had been serving as the Nationals' No. 2 catcher behind Keibert Ruiz and produced a .185/.277/.262 batting line with two home runs, 11 RBI and 18 runs in 50 games.

Luzardo (14-5) notched the win against Atlanta on Monday, allowing two hits and one walk in nine scoreless innings. He struck out 12.

Luzardo outdueled Grant Holmes in Monday's 1-0 victory, pitching both his first career complete game and shutout. The southpaw has been rolling on the hill since the onset of August, throwing at least 5.2 innings while yielding two runs or fewer in each of his last seven starts. He's set to finish a two-start week over the weekend in Atlanta while carrying a 2.87 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 221:52 K:BB over 178.2 innings for the season.

Holmes took a no-decision against the Phillies on Monday, allowing three hits and two walks in six scoreless innings. He struck out six.

Holmes looked sharp Monday, blanking a potent Philadelphia lineup over six frames. The six strikeouts were the right-hander's most since May 23 versus the Nationals, and he's now turned in five scoreless starts in his last seven since the beginning of August. He's in line to wrap up a two-start week in a home rematch with the Phillies this weekend, holding a 3.46 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 110:57 K:BB over 137.2 innings for the season.

O'Hearn (quadriceps) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

O'Hearn has not played in a game since he went down with a left quad strain in late July, but he's been cleared to test things out with the Pirates' top minor-league affiliate. The 31-year-old is aiming to be reinstated to the active roster ahead of this weekend's series at Wrigley Field against the Cubs.

The Padres designated Hunt for assignment Monday.

The transaction frees space on the 40-man roster for Nick Pivetta (forearm), who is back from the 60-day injured list to start Monday's game versus the Nationals. Hunt struck out in all three plate appearances during his brief time in the majors earlier this season, and he's slashed .301/.381/.617 with 11 homers in 42 contests at hitter-friendly Triple-A El Paso.