Swihart was released by Washington on Monday, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.
Swihart will head to free agency after being let go. He spent the 2021 season with Triple-A Rochester, slashing .198/.299/.339 with five home runs, 17 RBI and two stolen bags.
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Nationals' Blake Swihart: Invited to spring training
Rotowire
Swihart signed a minor-league deal with the Nationals as a non-roster invitee Wednesday, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.
Swihart was let go by the Rangers in late August after dealing with a sore thumb early in the season. He was unable to find another roster spot during the 2020 season but will now compete for a backup catcher role with the Nationals during spring training. The 28-year-old last appeared in the big leagues with the Diamondbacks and Red Sox in 2019, hitting .163 with four home runs, 13 RBI and 36 strikeouts over 99 plate appearances.
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Blake Swihart: Released by Texas
Rotowire
Swihart was released by the Rangers on Tuesday.
Swihart was dealing with left thumb soreness at the end of camp and worked at the Rangers' alternate training site to begin the season. He'll now search for a new organization. It's unclear whether he'll be able to find a spot on another 60-man roster during the 2020 season. The 28-year-old has slashed .243/.301/.355 during brief stints in the majors over five seasons.
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Rangers' Blake Swihart: Dealing with sore thumb
Rotowire
Swihart was scratched from the lineup ahead of Saturday's intrasquad game due to left thumb soreness.
It doesn't sound as if the issue is too serious, though it's not yet clear when Swihart is expected to return to action. Even if healthy, Swihart is unlikely to fill a major role for the Rangers this season, as he's hit just .243/.301/.355 over parts of five big-league seasons.
Swihart was added to the Rangers' 60-man player pool Sunday.
Swihart, who is not on the 40-man roster, offers position versatility to Texas' player pool. The 28-year-old entered MLB as a catcher with the Red Sox and since added outfield to his resume and has played some first base as well. That makes him a no-brainer to maintain in the pool. However, that the 2011 first-round pick has never had a chance to stick to one position for a sustained period of time has been a hindrance to his career.
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Rangers' Blake Swihart: Back from illness
Rotowire
Swihart (illness) pinch hit in Friday's spring game against the Padres.
Swihart left a game in late February with an illness, but he has not encountered any setbacks since. He is faring well this spring, going 4-for-13 with a home run, three RBI, and 6:1 BB:K across 19 plate appearances.
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Rangers' Blake Swihart: Pulled due to illness
Rotowire
Swihart left Wednesday's game after two innings because he was feeling ill, Dave Sessions of MLB.com reports.
Swihart was replaced by Tim Federowicz behind the plate. The Rangers are getting a look at Swihart behind the dish early in camp, while both Robinson Chirinos (hamstring) and Jose Trevino (finger) deal with injuries. The catching chores are expected to be filled by Chirinos and Trevino, but Swihart's a switch hitter that can play first base and outfield. That versatility off the bench could give him a leg up for the 26th man role.
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Rangers' Blake Swihart: Seen as catcher
Rotowire
The Rangers plan to give Swihart a shot at catcher during spring training, T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com reports.
Swihart has been kicked around the diamond the last few years, but it looks like Texas wants to see him at catcher. The 28-year-old has been invited to spring training, but Swihart will need to have a boffo spring to break camp with the major-league club. Robinson Chirinos will be the starter with Jeff Mathis and Jose Trevino next in the pecking order.
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Rangers' Blake Swihart: Invited to Rangers camp
Rotowire
Swihart signed a minor-league contract with the Rangers which includes an invitation to spring training Monday, Anderson Pickard of MLB Daily Dish reports.
The former highly rated prospect heads into his age-28 season having yet to establish himself at the big-league level. His career slash line sits at .243/.301/.355 over parts of five seasons in the majors. It's unclear whether the Rangers view him as a catcher or a utility player.
Swihart was sent outright to Triple-A Reno on Wednesday, Zach Buchanan of The Athletic reports.
Swihart was designated for assignment by the Diamondbacks earlier in the week, but he'll remain with the organization after passing through waivers untouched. Prior to being removed from Arizona's 40-man roster, Swihart compiled an unsightly .163/.222/.304 slash line in 45 games (99 plate appearances) with the Red Sox and Diamondbacks.
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Diamondbacks' Blake Swihart: Loses roster spot
Rotowire
The Diamondbacks designated Swihart for assignment Monday.
Swihart has no minor-league options remaining, so any team that puts in a waiver claim for the 27-year-old switch hitter would have to keep him in the majors. During his time in Arizona, the former elite catching prospect saw all of his action at first base or in the corner outfield. He failed to find a rhythm at the dish while seeing inconsistent work and struggling to stay healthy, batting just .163 with a 36.4 percent strikeout rate across 99 plate appearances.
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Diamondbacks' Blake Swihart: Brought back from IL
Rotowire
Swihart (oblique) was activated from the 60-day injured list Wednesday.
Swihart will take the roster spot of Greg Holland, who was designated for assignment Wednesday. Prior to landing on the shelf with an oblique injury at the beginning of June, Swihart compiled a .167/.227/.311 slash line across 42 games with Boston and Arizona. He figures to reclaim his utility role with the Diamondbacks now that he's healthy.
Swihart (oblique) was shifted to the 60-day injured list Wednesday.
Swihart has already been sidelined for 60 days, so this move won't have an effect on his return date. He's currently on a minor-league rehab assignment and is closing in on a return. In a corresponding move, Zac Gallen, who was acquired from the Marlins in exchange for Jazz Chisholm on Wednesday, was added to Arizona's roster.
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Diamondbacks' Blake Swihart: Experiencing back soreness
Rotowire
Swihart (oblique) did not play Tuesday's rehab game because of back soreness, Drake Hills of the Arizona Republic reports.
Swihart recently moved his rehab assignment from High-A Visalia to Triple-A Reno, so he had been getting close to a return. The back soreness may be a minor setback, but it stalls any momentum. Swihart has gone 4-for-19 over five rehab games.
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Diamondbacks' Blake Swihart: Moving rehab to Triple-A
Rotowire
Swihart (oblique) will advance his rehab assignment to Triple-A Reno on Monday, Steve Gilbert of MLB.com reports.
Swihart began his rehab stint with High-A Visalia, and it appears he's inching closer to a return after moving to Reno. It still remains unclear as to how many plate appearances he'll need in the minor leagues prior to being activated.
Swihart (oblique) began his rehab assignment Wednesday and went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored for High-A Visalia.
It was previously reported that Swihart's rehab would begin Thursday, but manager Torey Lovullo erred when providing that update, per Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Swihart served as the designated hitter for the Rawhide. The Diamondbacks have not provided a certain number of plate appearances they would like Swihart to receive before activating him off the injured list.
