Nationals' Mason Thompson: Agrees to deal with Nats
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Thompson (elbow) agreed to a one-year contract with the Nationals on Thursday to avoid arbitration, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Thompson underwent Tommy John surgery shortly after reporting to spring training. He's expected to miss at least part of the 2025 regular season, though he should contribute out of the Nationals' bullpen once healthy.
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Nationals' Mason Thompson: Moves to 60-day IL
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The Nationals placed Thompson (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Sunday.
The right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery in early March, so his move to the 60-day IL was an eventuality. Thompson will miss the entire 2024 campaign and is also likely to be out for the first couple months of 2025.
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Nationals' Mason Thompson: Undergoing Tommy John surgery
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Thompson will undergo Tommy John surgery on his right elbow Friday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Thompson will be getting the second Tommy John surgery of his career, as he also needed the operation back in high school. He'll miss the entirety of the 2024 campaign and possibly the start of next season as well, since rehab from a second UCL repair is usually more deliberate.
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Nationals' Mason Thompson: Getting checked out this week
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Thompson will have his elbow re-evaluated early this week, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
The right-hander has yet to throw in camp after reporting soreness when he first arrived, and if the elbow hasn't improved with rest, Thompson could potentially be facing Tommy John surgery. "Keeping my fingers crossed," Nationals manager Dave Martinez said Monday. "To be honest with you, I'm a little concerned." Thompson showed flashes last year of becoming a high-leverage option in the team's bullpen, but he finished the 2023 season with a 5.50 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 44:22 K:BB over 54 innings.
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Nationals' Mason Thompson: Shut down from throwing
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The Nationals announced Wednesday that Thompson is dealing with an elbow injury and will be shut down from throwing for at least the next two weeks, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
The right-hander apparently suffered the injury over the winter, and his availability for Opening Day is now in question. Thompson made a career-high 51 appearances for the Nationals last season but struggled to a 5.50 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 44:22 K:BB over 54 innings, so he's hardly guaranteed to make the roster even if fully healthy.
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Nationals' Mason Thompson: Optioned to Rochester
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Washington optioned Thompson to Triple-A Rochester on Wednesday.
This move clears out a 28-man roster spot for Jackson Rutledge, who is making his major-league debut in a start Wednesday at Pittsburgh. Thompson, 25, has struggled to a 5.50 ERA, 1.56 WHIP and 44:22 K:BB in 54 innings of relief this season with the Nationals.
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Nationals' Mason Thompson: Returns from injured list
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Thompson (knee) was reinstated from the 15-day injured list Sunday, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
Thompson landed on the injured list Aug. 5 with a left knee contusion, but he's ready to rejoin the Nationals after a one-outing rehab assignment. The right-hander has 10 holds while working as part of the bridge to the late innings for the Nationals, but he has a 4.56 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 40:19 K:BB across 47.1 innings.
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Nationals' Mason Thompson: Cleared for rehab assignment
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Thompson (knee) will head to Double-A Harrisburg later this week to begin a rehab assignment, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
Thompson has been on the injured list since Aug. 5 due to a left knee contusion, so he'll likely require only one or two tune-up outings in the minors before getting cleared to rejoin the Nationals' bullpen. Though he's been one of the team's top setup options this season, he had struggled throughout July (9.00 ERA, 2.13 WHIP in eight innings) prior to landing on the shelf.
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Nationals' Mason Thompson: Throws simulated game
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Thompson (knee) threw 25 pitches in a simulated appearance Tuesday, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
That could be the final step before he is cleared to head out on a minor-league rehab assignment. Thompson had posted a 4.56 ERA and 40:19 K:BB through 47.1 innings of relief this season with the Nationals before he landed on the 15-day injured in early August due to a left knee contusion.
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Nationals' Mason Thompson: Lands on injured list
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Thompson was placed on the 15-day injured list Saturday with a left knee contusion, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Thompson hasn't pitched in a game since July 31, so it's unclear when exactly he suffered the injury. Saturday's starting pitcher, Joan Adon, was recalled from Triple-A Rochester in a corresponding move.
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Nationals' Mason Thompson: Nabs ninth hold
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Thompson gave up two hits and struck out one in 1.1 scoreless innings to record his ninth hold of the season in Monday's win over the Cubs.
With Hunter Harvey (elbow) landing on the IL, Kyle Finnegan shifted back into the closer role for the Nationals, and it looks like Thompson will get the first chance to handle primary setup duties. The right-hander has a 1.72 ERA, 1.28 WHIP and 14:8 K:BB through 15.2 innings since the beginning of June and has collected eight of his holds during that stretch, so he figures to continue seeing fairly high-leverage usage even after Harvey returns.
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Nationals' Mason Thompson: Notches third hold
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Thompson gave up two hits and struck out two in a scoreless sixth inning Friday to record his third hold of the season in a loss to Atlanta.
The 25-year-old right-hander looked like he might be in line for significant high-leverage usage early in the season, but instead Thompson has fallen apart, posting a 7.62 ERA, 2.08 WHIP and 9:9 K:BB through 13 innings since the beginning of May. If he can find some consistency, however, there should be plenty of opportunities for Thompson and his mid-90s sinker to move up the ladder in a Nationals bullpen that doesn't have any truly dominant late-inning arms.
Nationals' Mason Thompson: Strikes out four in victory
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Thompson (2-1) earned the win in Saturday's 10-4 win over the Twins. He allowed one unearned run on two hits in relief without issuing a walk and striking out four over 2.1 innings.
Thompson allowed the one run after an error on a throw by Riley Adams, but it was another impressive outing for the reliever. He threw 27 of 35 pitches for strikes while earning the win, and Thompson's been able to go more than inning in six of his nine appearances while lowering his ERA to a minuscule 1.15 over 15.2 frames. Thompson's current role doesn't carry much fantasy relevance, but the 25-year-old could earn save opportunities for the Nationals if his strong play continues into the summer months, though he has only one hold so far.
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Nationals' Mason Thompson: Collects win Sunday
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Thompson (1-1) gave up one hit in a scoreless eighth inning Sunday to record the win against the Guardians. He didn't walk or strike out a batter.
The right-hander entered the game with the Nationals down 6-5, and after needing only 13 pitches (eight strikes) to retire the side, Thompson was rewarded with his first win when Washington plated two in the bottom of the frame. Thompson has been one of the better arms in the team's bullpen to begin the season, posting a 1.59 ERA and 8:1 K:BB through 11.1 innings, and he appears to be working his way into a high-leverage role.
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Nationals' Mason Thompson: Looks good to begin campaign
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Thompson gave up one hit and struck out three over two scoreless innings of relief in an Opening Day loss to Atlanta.
The 25-year-old righty entered the game in the sixth inning with the Nationals down 4-2 and fanned Austin Riley and Michael Harris to keep things close for the home squad. Thompson's role is fairly undefined to begin the season -- starter Patrick Corbin couldn't complete four innings Thursday, taxing the Washington bullpen right out of the gate -- but if he keeps getting the job done, he could work his way into a high-leverage role.
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Nationals' Mason Thompson: Could land high-leverage role
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Thompson could see high-leverage work for the Nationals this season, potentially even in the ninth inning with manager Dave Martinez suggesting he'll use Kyle Finnegan as a fireman and not a traditional closer, Bobby Blanco of MASN reports.
Finnegan still seems likely to see the majority of save chances for the Nationals this season, but there could be saves up for grabs if the right-hander gets the call earlier in games in tight situations. Thompson would be just one of many candidates who could benefit, with Hunter Harvey, Alex Colome, Sean Doolittle (elbow) and Carl Edwards also in the mix depending on matchups and performance. Thompson hasn't hurt his chances this spring, posting a 3:0 K:BB through 3.1 innings, but he'll need to up his strikeout rate to become a key member of the Nats bullpen after managing just a 15:9 K:BB through 24.2 big-league innings in 2022.
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Nationals' Mason Thompson: Secures three-inning save
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Thompson allowed one hit over three shutout innings against the Cardinals on Monday. He struck out one and earned a save.
Thompson hadn't pitched more than an inning in any MLB appearance this season but he had no trouble working through the final three frames of Monday's victory. He's now sporting a 0.75 ERA through 12 innings with Washington this season. Thompson picked up his first save of the year Monday and shouldn't be expected to see many more opportunities down the stretch.
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Nationals' Mason Thompson: Returns to majors
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The Nationals recalled Thompson from Triple-A Rochester on Thursday, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports.
Thompson is back for his third stint of the season with the Nationals. Over his previous nine appearances out of the bullpen with the big club, Thompson has looked sharp while accruing a 1.13 WHIP and 1.00 WHIP across eight innings.
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Nationals' Mason Thompson: Optioned to Triple-A
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Thompson was optioned to Triple-A Rochester on Wednesday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
After appearing in two games since being called up Sunday, Thompson was sent back down to Triple-A in order to free up a spot for Jake McGee. Over the course of his brief stints in the majors this season, he's turned in an impressive 1.13 ERA and 1.00 WHIP over eight innings of work. It seems to be only a matter of time before the 24-year-old righty gets a long-term promotion to the big-league club.
