Washington Nationals 2025 Season

THE LEAD

Now that Trevor Williams has taken his first turn, we can say that the Nationals’ rotation has been at worst solid (Williams, Soroka, Irvin) and at best spectacular (Gore - I give Parker a “very good” rating). That’s something that you can work with! Beyond that, however, the Nats have had a flammable bullpen (cost them again last night) and so-so offense that has been awful in these first five games with runners in scoring position (6-for-41, with one of the six failing to score anyone). Having dropped the first two games of their biannual series in Canada, the Nats will be attempting to salvage yet again tomorrow before coming back home to face the Diamondbacks and then the Dodgers starting Friday.

 Washington Nationals 2025 Season

Game Recap

The Nationals got supremely unlucky on batted ball location yesterday, with the Jays giving Williams death by a thousand paper cuts in the second inning, generating five singles and an RBI groundout for three runs. The Nats got Williams off the hook in the sixth and seventh after he was out of the game, tying things up thanks to a two-run single from Keibert Ruiz in the top of the sixth and an RBI double from CJ Abrams an inning later.

Disaster struck in the bottom of the eighth when Jose A. Ferrer - working his second inning - fumbled a sacrifice bunt attempt that left everyone safe. Two batters later, Bo Bichette snuck a ball down the first base line just past a diving Nathaniel Lowe and gave Toronto a 5-3 lead that it would not relinquish. And now the Nats are 1-4, with a pretty tough schedule immediately in front of them. Will they claw back to .500?

 STORY TYPE

Soroka Might Be Okay

Perhaps the surest sign that the Nats were not sugarcoating the extent of Michael Soroka’s possible injury after his abrupt departure in the bottom of the sixth inning on Monday night is that Jackson Rutledge, perhaps the most likely candidate to replace Soroka on the active roster in the event of a trip to the injured list, pitched yesterday for the Rochester Red Wings (he would have been held out if they felt they maybe needed to call him up). That is a huge relief for Mike Rizzo, Davey Martinez, and obviously Soroka, although further clarification should come after Soroka throws a bullpen today. If there are any minor concerns, there is flexibility in the April schedule to skip a start without having to recall anyone from the minors. Good news!

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 WHAT WE THINK THE NATIONALS FRONT OFFICE IS READING

Speed Reads

📌 Bad Breaks Piling Up for Atlanta (Fangraphs)

📌 Torpedo Bats Aren’t New (The Athletic)

📌 Bar-B-Cast Power Rankings (Yahoo!)