Lord didn't factor into the decision in Wednesday's 9-0 loss to Atlanta, allowing two hits and a walk over 3.1 scoreless innings. He struck out six.
A nearly 90-minute rain delay ended what was shaping up to be an unlikely pitcher's duel, as Lord's dominant performance was matched by three perfect innings from Grant Holmes. Lord may have been nearing his limit anyway, however -- the right-hander tossed 39 of 55 pitches for strikes, and he hasn't thrown 60-plus pitches in any outing this season. He'll likely return to a long-relief role, but Lord's making a case to get stretched out for another crack at the rotation, having posted a 2.40 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 18:8 K:BB over 15 innings since the beginning of August.
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Nationals' Brad Lord: Shifts to bullpen Tuesday
Rotowire
Lord struck out two and allowed one walk and no hits over 2.1 innings of relief in Tuesday's 3-1 loss to the Rockies.
Lord had started in each of his prior three appearances, but he was essentially deployed as an opener for all of those games, working no more than 2.2 innings on any occasions. The Nationals are still lacking a clear No. 5 starter, but Lord's usage in long relief Tuesday suggests that the club is planning on him filling a bullpen role for the time being. Washington will have Matt Waldron open Wednesday's contest in what would have been Lord's spot in the rotation.
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Nationals' Brad Lord: Limited workload in start Friday
Rotowire
Lord struck out a batter and allowed no hits and one walk over 2.2 innings in a start during Friday's 3-2 loss to the Marlins.
Though Lord has now started in three consecutive appearances, the Nationals don't seem to be looking to stretch him out. He's seen his pitch count drop in each successive start, as he threw just 31 pitches before getting pulled midway through the third inning Friday. Will Dion has worked in bulk relief in each of Lord's last three starts, and the two could continue to work in tandem when the fifth spot in the rotation comes up until the Nationals get one of DJ Herz (elbow) or Connelly Early (elbow) back from the injured list.
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Nationals' Brad Lord: Drawing another start
Rotowire
Lord is slated to start Saturday's game against the Mets at Citi Field, Kyle Williams of TheBanner.com reports.
Lord will be making his second straight appearance as a starter, after he allowed one earned run while striking out four over 2.2 innings and 51 pitches in Sunday's 7-1 win over the Reds. After the Nationals designated Zack Littell and Miles Mikolas for assignment within the past two weeks to clear a pair of spots in the rotation, Lord looks as though he's being stretched out to fill one of the openings. Since Lord will be operating with a limited pitch count once again Saturday, the Nationals could turn to lefty Will Dion to piggyback him. In Lord's previous start, Dion tossed three shutout innings of long relief to earn his first MLB win.
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Nationals' Brad Lord: Reinstated from IL
Rotowire
Washington activated Lord (side) from the 15-day injured list Wednesday.
After completing a rehab assignment with Triple-A Rochester, Lord has been cleared to return to the big-league club. Before landing on the IL, the 26-year-old posted a 3.88 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 52:21 K:BB over 58 innings. The Nationals designated right-hander Zack Littell for assignment in a corresponding move.
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Nationals' Brad Lord: Starts up rehab assignment
Rotowire
Lord (side) began a rehab assignment Saturday at Triple-A Rochester, striking out two batters over a perfect inning.
Lord has been on the injured list since July 9 due to left side tightness, but he'll likely need just one or two more appearances in the minors before getting the green light to rejoin the Washington bullpen. Before getting hurt, the right reliever turned in a 3.88 ERA and 1.22 WHIP over 58 innings while gathering five wins, one save and four holds.
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Nationals' Brad Lord: Shelved by side tightness
Rotowire
The Nationals placed Lord on the 15-day injured list Thursday with left side tightness.
Lord last pitched Sunday, when he was rocked for five runs over 1.1 innings. His absence could end up being around the 15-day minimum if he is indeed only dealing with tightness, but the Nationals may need to send Lord for imaging to see if he has a strain.
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Nationals' Brad Lord: Serving as opener Wednesday
Rotowire
Lord will be the Nationals' opening pitcher in Wednesday's game versus the Red Sox, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports.
He'll take the ball first before eventually turning the game over to left-hander Andrew Alvarez. Lord has been a starting pitcher in the past and has been used primarily in long relief this season, so he's capable of logging multiple innings Wednesday, if needed.
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Nationals' Brad Lord: Slams door for six-out save
Rotowire
Lord secured the save Saturday against the Diamondbacks, throwing two clean innings. He struck out one.
Lord recorded his first career save Saturday, extending his scoreless streak to 8.1 innings in the process. The 26-year-old right-hander should remain a multi-inning weapon out of Washington's bullpen and continue to see high-leverage work, but he doesn't figure to see consistent save chances. Through 40.1 frames, Lord sports a 2.45 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 34:10 K:BB with five holds.
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Nationals' Brad Lord: Nabs Opening Day win in relief
Rotowire
Lord (1-0) allowed one run on four hits over 2.1 innings of relief Thursday, earning the win in a 10-4 victory over the Cubs. He struck out one without walking a batter.
Cade Cavalli got the start but recorded only 11 outs on 75 pitches before getting the hook, and Lord was the Nat reliever handed the win by the official scorer. Lord is likely to have a versatile role out of the bullpen, getting used for longer stints but also potentially being a part of the high-leverage mix after the right-hander posted a 4.34 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 108:43 K:BB over 130.2 innings as a rookie in 2025 while starting 19 of his 48 appearances.
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Nationals' Brad Lord: Out of rotation mix
Rotowire
Lord indicated Thursday that he was no longer being built up as a starter, Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic reports.
The 26-year-old righty has thrown 12.1 innings over five spring appearances (one start) with a 2.19 ERA and 8:3 K:BB, but it appears the Nationals are more comfortable with him in a long-relief role. Lord worked three scoreless innings and 36 pitches (27 strikes) out of the bullpen in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals, allowing one hit and one walk with three strikeouts, and he could piggyback Zack Littell early in the season while the late signing gets fully stretched out. As a rookie in 2025, Lord posted a 4.34 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 108:43 K:BB in 130.2 innings over 48 appearances (19 starts).
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Nationals' Brad Lord: Fades late in no-decision
Rotowire
Lord came away with a no-decision in Wednesday's 9-4 loss to Atlanta, giving up two runs on six hits and a walk over 5.1 innings. He struck out four.
The right-hander blanked Atlanta for five frames and got handed a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth, but Lord ran into trouble when he came out for the sixth in an eventual four-run frame that swung the game to the visitors. After a rough ending to August, Lord has been much sharper in September, posting a 3.18 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 15:5 K:BB over three starts and 17 innings. He's scheduled to make his final start of 2025 on the road next week in a rematch with Atlanta.
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Nationals' Brad Lord: Tagged with seven runs
Rotowire
Lord (4-8) yielded seven runs on five hits and two walks over three innings Sunday, striking out three and taking a loss against the Rays.
The Rays jumped on Lord early with a huge six-run second inning, capped off by Brandon Lowe's grand slam. Lord gave up another run in the third and ended his afternoon with 62 pitches (36 strikes). Since rejoining the Nationals' rotation in late July, he had thrown at least four innings in all seven starts before Sunday's ugly outing. Lord posted a 4.54 ERA during that seven-start span. He now owns a 4.34 ERA with an 85:35 K:BB through 103.2 innings this season. Lord is projected for a road start against the Cubs next weekend.
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Nationals' Brad Lord: Hangs on for fourth win
Rotowire
Lord (4-6) picked up the win in Wednesday's 5-4 victory over the Mets, giving up four runs on seven hits and two walks over 5.1 innings. He struck out four.
The right-hander blanked New York for four innings before the wheels began to come off, but Washington gave Lord enough offensive support to get him into the win column. The four runs were the most he'd allowed in an outing since moving back into the rotation after the All-Star break, and over six starts during that span he's posted a 3.45 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 21:8 K:BB in 31.1 innings. Lord faces a tough test in his next trip to the mound, which is scheduled to come on the road early next week in Yankee Stadium.
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Nationals' Brad Lord: Sharp in third win
Rotowire
Lord (3-6) picked up the win Saturday, allowing one run on four hits and two walks over six innings in a 4-2 victory over the Giants. He struck out five.
It was the rookie right-hander's second career quality start, with the other coming back on May 6. Lord has been effective since shifting back into the rotation coming out of the All-Star break, and over his last four outings he's posted a 2.70 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 14:5 K:BB over 20 innings while tossing at least 86 pitches in each of the last two. Now that he's fully stretched out, he could be a useful fantasy arm for the remainder of the season, but he's scheduled for a tough matchup in his next trip to the mound, at home next week against the Phillies.
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Nationals' Brad Lord: Falls to Milwaukee
Rotowire
Lord (2-6) took the loss Sunday against the Brewers, allowing three runs on six hits and two walks across 4.2 innings. He struck out six.
The Brewers got to Lord early Sunday, scratching out a run in the first inning before Brice Turang launched a two-run homer in the second. The 25-year-old Lord had allowed just two runs over 9.1 innings in his previous two outings. Overall, his ERA sits at 3.42 with a 1.23 WHIP and 65:26 K:BB across 79 innings in a swing role this year. Lord is tentatively lined up to face the Giants on the road in his next start.
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Nationals' Brad Lord: Solid showing in no-decision
Rotowire
Lord did not factor into the decision Monday, allowing one run on a hit and a walk over 5.1 innings against the Astros. He struck out two.
Lord was highly effective Monday, retiring the first 14 batters he faced before allowing a baserunner with two outs in the fifth inning. The right-hander has bounced between the rotation and bullpen this season but has quietly delivered solid results, recording a 3.27 ERA and 1.20 WHIP across 74.2 innings in 37 appearances. His modest strikeout rate (7.4 K/9) could cap his upside and make him a candidate for regression, but he's been dependable and appears poised to make another start in the Nationals' rotation.
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Nationals' Brad Lord: Garners another start
Rotowire
Lord is slated to start Monday's game against the Astros in Houston, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.
Lord had been pitching out of the bullpen since the middle of May before he re-entered the rotation last week, filling the spot that previously belonged to Shinnosuke Ogasawara and Trevor Williams (elbow). Though he was limited to 50 pitches in his previous start last Tuesday versus the Reds, Lord cruised through four innings, allowing one earned run on six hits and zero walks. He'll likely push his pitch count up to the 60-to-70 range Monday, and another strong effort should give Lord some more security in the Washington rotation.
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Nationals' Brad Lord: Impresses in return to rotation
Rotowire
Lord didn't factor into the decision Tuesday against Cincinnati, allowing one run on six hits and no walks over four innings. He struck out one.
As expected, Lord threw just 50 pitches in what was his first start since May 6. The 25-year-old had pitched out of the bullpen since, but Washington opted to push him back into the rotation following the All-Star break. In seven starts this season, Lord owns a 4.15 ERA and a 22:9 K:BB across 30.1 innings. He'll likely still be on a pitch count in his next appearance, which is expected to come early next week against the Astros.
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Nationals' Brad Lord: Stepping into rotation
Rotowire
Lord will fill the fifth spot in Washington's rotation, Spencer Nusbaum of The Washington Post reports.
Lord made six trips through the rotation from April to early May before being bumped to the bullpen. He logged a 1-4 record with a 4.44 ERA and a 21:9 K:BB across 26.1 innings as a starter. Lord has posted a 2.70 ERA in 36,2 innings of relief since. He'll return to the rotation coming out of the All-Star break after Shinnosuke Ogasawara was optioned to Triple-A Rochester. Lord is on track to start during a three-game home series against Cincinnati early next week. Per Byron Kerr of MLB.com, Lord will throw 45-to-50 pitches in his first start.
