As of today, the Washington Nationals have just 5 games remaining in the 2026 season. In a year that has been full of a lot of ups but also a fair amount of downs as well, most notably by setting the single-season blown saves record, the Nationals can still hold their heads high once they get to the finish line of this year.
They have already won more games in 2026 than they had in any year since 2019, and the organization looks to be vastly improved across multiple levels, including the minor leagues. When your organization gets to a point of improvement, it becomes time to refresh some of your personnel, and with a new regime at the helm, certain draft decisions tend to get thrown by the wayside a little bit.
Nationals to release Cole Henry after DJ Herz' return from 60-day IL
One of those personnel decisions came yesterday, as the Nationals activated DJ Herz for his first action in the major leagues since 2024, but had to send someone from their 40-man roster packing to clear space for Herz' return since he was on the 60-day Injured List. That player ended up being righty Cole Henry, who once upon a time was a 2nd-rounder of the Nationals back in 2020.
After some persistent struggles across multiple upper levels of baseball including the majors and AAA, the Nationals requested unconditional release waivers on Henry yesterday. Given that Henry looked like an ascending member of the Nationals' bullpen towards the beginning of last season before injuries got a hold of him, seeing him outright released took many fans by surprise, myself included.
The Nationals have requested unconditional release waivers on RHP Cole Henry, which clears a 40-man roster spot for DJ Herz (who starts tonight). A disappointing conclusion to Henry’s time with the organization. Looked like a potential high-leverage arm not long ago.
— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) September 21, 2026
However, given that Henry had pitched to a 7.90 ERA and 1.756 WHIP in 11 games so far in 2026 and a 6.43 ERA and 1.238 WHIP for AAA Rochester in 22 games, perhaps a change of scenery will do wonders for the righty. He has the ability to pitch late in games as evidenced by his 2 saves in 2025, but also needs to work on his control, as Henry had a 52:32 K:BB ratio and also hit 11 batters in 52.2 innings of relief in 2025.
With Henry now off the 40-man roster, he is able to sign anywhere as he is a free agent, but a reunion with the Nationals might not be completely out of the cards in order to give him more time to try to find it and get right at AAA Rochester.
What do you think of the Nationals releasing righty Cole Henry? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.
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