The Nationals selected Lord's contract from Triple-A Rochester on Wednesday.
Lord finished spring training with a 6.08 ERA and 8:3 K:BB across 13.1 innings -- not good enough to win a starting job, but just enough to earn a spot as a long reliever. The 25-year-old righty logged a 3.93 ERA and 1.38 WHIP in 55 Triple-A frames last season, and his first appearance of 2025 will mark his MLB debut. DJ Herz (elbow) was transferred to the 60-day IL in a corresponding move.
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Nationals' Brad Lord: In line to make Opening Day roster
Rotowire
Lord has made the Nationals' Opening Day roster, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
Lord has predominately been a starter in the minors and could still return to that role, but the Nationals have opted to include him on their Opening Day roster in a long-relief role. The 25-year-old will be making his major-league debut if and when he gets into a game.
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Nationals' Brad Lord: In mix for bullpen spot
Rotowire
Lord is in the running to win a spot in the Nationals' Opening Day bullpen, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.
Washington still views the 25-year-old right-hander as a potential starter in the long term, but Lord has shown improved velocity this spring and has been mostly sharp, aside from an eight-run implosion against the Rays on March 13. "I think he can come in and get us a ground ball in a tough situation, which is nice," manager Dave Martinez said Monday after Lord tossed a perfect inning against the Cardinals on 12 pitches. "But it's the deception. It's what he can do. It's everything that he's become and that we've seen that allows us to say: If this guy can throw strikes, he can give us two-plus innings." Lord appears to be in the running for one of the final two spots in the Nats bullpen, and he could be the team's best option to handle a long-relief role.
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Nationals' Brad Lord: Flashing improved velocity
Rotowire
Lord has been sitting 95-96 mph with his fastball in camp this spring, a significant improvement on the 92-93 mph he averaged in the minors last season, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com reports.
The Nationals have had some impressive success in the last couple years turning unheralded prospects into major-league arms, and Lord might be the next hurler to join that list. An 18th-round pick in the 2022 First-Year Player Draft, the 25-year-old right-hander pitched at three levels last year, finishing his breakout campaign with a 3.93 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 57:20 K:BB over 55 Triple-A innings. His success largely came from the deception in his nearly sidearm delivery, but if Lord has developed a legitimate fastball, it could position him for a spot in the big-league bullpen at some point in 2025.
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