The Washington Nationals finished off a solid weekend series against the St. Louis Cardinals by dropping a tough one yesterday afternoon. It was yet another opportunity for the Nationals to complete a series sweep, but the team fell just short in their quest to sweep their second series of the month and just their fourth of the season.
Nonetheless, the Nationals will leave St. Louis and head for Detroit, where the team will begin a 3 game series against the Tigers for their final road series of the season before heading home to Washington to close things out against the Mets. Part of what will make these final games so interesting is to see some familiar faces make their returns, with another pitcher set to make a long-awaited return to the Nationals tomorrow.
DJ Herz set to start for Nationals in first start since 2024 season
That pitcher would be lefty DJ Herz, who has not pitched in the major leagues since the 2024 season, when he underwent Tommy John Surgery in April of 2025. Since rehabbing and working his way back up to the majors, Herz struggled with some setbacks as well, but he clearly has shown the front office enough for him to be given the chance to make his return before the end of this season.
We just saw 2024 Opening Day starter Josiah Gray make his triumphant return to the Nationals in a relief role, and of course this is also on the heels of another arm who has dealt with injury troubles in the past in Cade Cavalli inking a contract extension with the club late last week. Simply put, it is a good time to be a Nationals pitcher returning from injury, and hopefully Herz can continue the good vibes.
DJ Herz will start for the Nationals tomorrow, per the team, making his return to the majors after spending nearly two full seasons on the IL. Super promising in 2024, had 10.8 K/9 as a rookie.
— Spencer Nusbaum (@spencernusbaum_) September 20, 2026
The last time we saw Herz back in 2024, he started 19 games with a 4-9 record, 4.16 ERA, and 1.26 WHIP. Across 88.2 innings, Herz struck out 106 batters compared to just 36 walks, and his 3.71 FIP showed that he might have even been a little bit better than his surface numbers showed. If he can work his way back to that form, he could be a huge asset to the Nationals' rotation for the future.
With Cavalli leading the rotation and potentially having guys like Herz, Gray, Andrew Alvarez, and trade acquisition Connelly Early factoring into the rotation picture next year, the Nationals can suddenly turn one of their biggest weaknesses into a strength very quickly. While they certainly could benefit from adding another steady veteran or two, there is no doubt that the Nationals, with Herz back in the fold, are headed in the right direction into 2027.
What are your expectations for DJ Herz in his first MLB start since the 2024 season? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.
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