Washington optioned Herz to the Florida Complex League Nationals on Friday, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.
With Herz not scheduled to start during the weekend series against the Phillies, the Nationals will switch out the 23-year-old southpaw for long reliever Jackson Rutledge. Herz started 19 games for the Nationals this season, posting a 4-9 record with a 4.16 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 106:36 K:BB across 88.2 innings. He was briefly sent down to Triple-A Rochester in early July, but he returned to the big club after the All-Star break. Since his recall, his numbers slightly improved to a 3.61 ERA and 1.19 WHIP over 57.1 frames.
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Nationals' DJ Herz: Allows one run in loss
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Herz (4-9) took the loss against the Royals on Wednesday, allowing one run on three hits and three walks with three strikeouts over five innings.
Herz threw 52 of 81 pitches for strikes and yielded just one run in the third inning, but the Nationals' offense wasn't able to muster any support for the rookie. While he endured a seven-run disaster in his most recent outing prior to Wednesday, the southpaw yielded just two earned runs across 15 innings in his other three September starts. He'll finish his first season with a 4.16 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and an impressive 10.8 K/9 across 88.2 innings.
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Nationals' DJ Herz: Crumbles in fourth inning
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Herz (4-8) took the loss Wednesday versus the Mets, allowing seven runs on six hits and three walks while striking out five over 3.1 innings.
Herz cruised through three innings, but he was pulled after allowing the first eight batters to reach in the fourth. He had already given up four runs at the time of his exit, and Jacob Barnes let all three inherited runners cross the plate to put more damage on Herz's line. This was the southpaw's worst outing of the year, though he was able to avoid giving up a home run for the fifth time in six appearances. He's now at a 4.30 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 103:33 K:BB through 83.2 innings over 18 starts. His next projected start will likely be his last one of the campaign, which is tentatively set to be at home versus the Royals.
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Nationals' DJ Herz: Fires five hitless frames
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Herz (3-7) earned the win over Pittsburgh in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader, issuing three walks and striking out five batters over five hitless and scoreless innings.
Herz walked one batter in each of his first three frames, but each was with two outs, and none of those batters reached second base. The rookie left-hander finished his outing by retiring the final seven hitters he faced, with four going down on strikeouts. A no-hitter was never really feasible for Herz since he needed 87 pitches to get through five innings, but some fantasy managers may be a little disappointed that he wasn't allowed to remain in the game for the sixth to try for a quality start. Regardless, this was an impressive performance by the 23-year-old, who has more than held his own in his first major-league campaign with a 3.82 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 93:29 K:BB over 75.1 frames.
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Nationals' DJ Herz: Start pushed to Saturday
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Herz will not start Friday against the Pirates as the game has been postponed due to inclement weather.
Friday's tilt will be made up Saturday as part of a doubleheader, and Herz will likely pitch in the first game. The southpaw is 2-7 across 15 starts this season with a 4.09 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 88:26 K:BB in 70.1 innings.
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Nationals' DJ Herz: Throws five shutout innings
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Herz didn't factor into the decision Sunday against Atlanta, allowing one hit and three walks across five scoreless innings. He struck out eight.
Herz was excellent Sunday but wasn't rewarded with the win as Atlanta tied the game 1-1 in the sixth inning before Washington pulled ahead late. The outing marked Herz's third time not allowing an earned run, and he hit the eight-strikeout milestone for the fourth time in 14 starts. The 23-year-old has had issues keeping the ball inside the park -- posting a 1.4 HR/9 across 65.2 innings -- but he's otherwise been impressive. The rookie boasts a 3.84 ERA with 83 strikeouts despite a 2-6 record. Herz is tentatively scheduled to make his next start during a weekend series against the Cubs.
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Nationals' DJ Herz: Strikes out seven in loss
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Herz (2-6) took the loss against the Rockies on Tuesday, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits and two walks with seven strikeouts across 5.2 innings.
Herz generated a solid 13 whiffs on 93 pitches but departed an out shy of his second straight quality start. While he only has one win to show for it, the rookie has yielded two earned runs or fewer in seven of his past eight outings. On the year, he owns a 4.15 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 75:21 K:BB across 60.2 innings and tentatively lines up to face Atlanta on Sunday.
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Nationals' DJ Herz: Stuck with loss in quality start
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Herz (2-5) took the loss Wednesday, giving up two runs on four hits and two walks over six innings in a 4-1 loss to the Orioles. He struck out five.
A two-run homer by Gunnar Henderson in the first inning proved to be too much for the Nationals' offense to overcome, saddling Herz with the loss despite his first quality start since June 15. The rookie southpaw has mostly been reliable of late, allowing two runs or less in six of seven starts since the beginning of July while posting a 3.48 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 41:12 K:BB through 33.2 innings, but he has just a 1-3 record to show for it. Herz will try to get back in the win column in his next outing, which is scheduled to come at home early next week against the Rockies.
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Nationals' DJ Herz: Struggles with command
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Herz did not factor into the decision Thursday, allowing two runs on four hits and four walks over 2.2 innings against the Giants. He struck out four.
Herz struggled with his control, tossing just 39 of 74 pitches for strikes while walking a season-high four batters in his shortest outing of the campaign. It was the fourth consecutive game Herz has given up two runs or fewer, though he was able to complete five innings in each of his previous three starts. The promising 23-year-old lefty's total of four strikeouts gives him 63 over 49 innings to go along with a 4.41 ERA and 1.35 WHIP. His next opportunity to take the hill is tentatively scheduled for next week when the Nationals head to Baltimore for a two-game set.
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Nationals' DJ Herz: Strikes out six in win
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Herz (2-4) earned the win against the Brewers on Saturday, allowing one unearned run on two hits and one walk with six strikeouts over five innings.
Herz opened with four scoreless frames before Sal Frelick reached on an error and came around to score with two outs in the fifth. The rookie was pulled after 77 pitches and has completed six innings just once in 10 starts, but he has yielded two earned runs or fewer in four of his past five outings. On the season, he owns a 4.27 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 59:13 K:BB across 46.1 innings and lines up for a home matchup with the Giants next week.
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Nationals' DJ Herz: Drawing start Tuesday
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The Nationals recalled Herz from Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
The left-hander will start Tuesday's game against the Padres. Herz was sent down earlier this month mostly as a means to give him some extra rest around the All-Star break. The left-hander should have a decent chance to remain in the Nationals' rotation for the remainder of the season. Herz holds a 5.17 ERA and 41:9 K:BB over 31.1 innings covering seven starts in the majors this season, which includes a pair of double-digit strikeout games.
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Nationals' DJ Herz: Tagged with third loss
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Herz (1-3) took the loss Sunday against the Cardinals. He allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits, two walks and four strikeouts over 4.1 innings.
Herz pitched a clean first and third inning but ran into trouble the rest of the time before getting pulled in the fifth. His rollercoaster rookie campaign continues as he's scattered impressive starts, like the two with double-digit strikeouts, with rough outings like the one on Sunday. The 23-year-old has a 5.17 ERA with 41 strikeouts over 31.1 innings this season.
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Nationals' DJ Herz: Struggles again Wednesday
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Herz (1-2) allowed four runs on six hits and two walks while striking out one batter over 3.1 innings in a loss to San Diego on Wednesday.
Herz made it through the first inning unscathed before giving up a pair of runs in the second. He kept the Padres off the scoreboard in the third but gave up two more runs in the fourth inning before being pulled with one out in the frame. Herz was magnificent in tossing six one-hit, scoreless frames with 13 strikeouts June 15 against Miami, but he's struggled in his two starts since, allowing eight runs (seven earned) across seven innings while notching just six punchouts. It remains to be seen whether he'll stick in the rotation when Josiah Gray (elbow) and/or Trevor Williams (elbow) return, though Herz is probably good for at least his next turn given that Washington will play on 17 straight days, beginning Friday, leading up to the All-Star break.
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Nationals' DJ Herz: Dominates in first major-league win
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Herz (1-1) earned the win against the Marlins on Saturday, allowing one hit and no walks while striking out 13 over six scoreless innings.
Herz was perfect other than a single by Jake Burger in the fifth and cruised to his first major-league win. In only his third career start, Herz registered a whopping 21 swinging strikes on 84 pitches. According to Sarah Langs of MLB.com, he is only the second pitcher in history to record 13 strikeouts and no walks in one of his first three career outings. Herz's minor-league 12.9 K/9 indicates he has real potential to rack up punchouts, and he now owns a 3.77 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 21 strikeouts in his 14.1 innings for the Nationals in 2024. He tentatively lines up to face the Rockies at Coors Field next week.
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Nationals' DJ Herz: Drawing another start
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Herz is slated to start Sunday's game against Atlanta at Nationals Park, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
The rookie will get a tough draw in his second MLB start, as he'll not only oppose a formidable Atlanta offense in a hitter-friendly environment, but he'll also be matching up head-to-head with one of the National League's top pitchers in Max Fried. After getting called up from Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday, Herz took a loss in his big-league debut against the Mets last week, giving up four earned runs on seven hits and two walks over four innings.
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Cubs' DJ Herz: Whiffs career-high 12
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Herz struck out a dozen Dayton hitters over five innings in his start Wednesday for High-A South Bend, allowing no runs on a hit and a hit by pitch. He now has a 1.45 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and 53:17 K:BB across 37.1 innings.
Herz has been nearly impossible to hit in the minors going back to last season, as he allowed a composite batting average of .157 last year and has been even better with a microscopic .120 average against him this year. The main caveat for the 21-year-old is that Wednesday marked the first time in 10 starts this season that he's finished five innings, so he's never had to go through a lineup three times. His 4.1 BB/9 is a bit concerning as well. All in all, while Herz still has the potential to become a big-league starter, there's a strong probability that he ends up in a relief role -- but that's not necessarily a bad thing, as he could be a shutdown lefty out of the pen.
