The Washington Nationals are riding high after their recent play, following a weekend series sweep over the Milwaukee Brewers and a bounce-back victory last night over the Pittsburgh Pirates. There is no doubt that the team has played a lot better than expected, and a large part of that has been the improvement of many players.
CJ Abrams and James Wood have each performed like MVP candidates so far, and other contributors like Jacob Young and Brady House have also improved a lot from last season. There is a lot of success than can be attributed to the team's new regime of their coaching and front office, but there has still been a flaw to the new era.
That new flaw is that the team's bullpen, made up primarily of waiver claims, has still been extremely poor this year. The starting rotation has been subpar as well, with basically only Foster Griffin and Zack Littell consistently stringing together solid starts consistently.
Although the Nationals' bullpen has struggled, they were dealt a tough blow over the weekend as they found out that lefty Ken Waldichuk is likely done for the season. In one of the games against the Brewers over the weekend, he threw a pitch and immediately left the game after pointing to his elbow, something you never want to see a pitcher do.
It was another obstacle in the road to consistent big-league success for Waldichuk, who has had a very hard journey so far in his professional career. He had Tommy John Surgery already back in 2024, and having to get the surgery done again so soon has to be a major blow for him to stomach.
A former top prospect in the Yankees' organization, Waldichuk was dealt to the then Oakland Athletics as part of the Frankie Montas deal, but struggled to find his footing while out west. He was hoping to reset himself in Washington as a full-time reliever, and of course, made the team coming out of camp. His upside was on display both in spring training and at times to begin the season, but now we will have to wait and see how he comes back from this latest setback.
But now, we will wait to see how Waldichuk's diagnosis ends up, as he is seeking a second opinion before opting to undergo the operation for the second time in 3 years. Our team here at District on Deck is hoping for a speedy recovery for the lefty, and want him to find success upon his return.
When do you think Ken Waldichuk will be able to make his return to the Nationals? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.
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