The post-trade-deadline portion of the 2025 Nationals season began tonight with a dud that neither offered much new hope for an August bounceback nor answered one of the great unknown questions now confronting this team: Who’s the closer now?

Interim manager Miguel Cairo chose to keep that information private when asked this afternoon, promising we’ll all find out together the next time the Nats take a lead into the ninth inning. It certainly didn’t happen tonight during a 16-9 thumping at the hands of the Brewers that felt like it was decided by the middle of the third, with the home team scoring five runs in the ninth to make it look a bit closer.

Mitchell Parker was battered around by the same Milwaukee lineup that put a hurting on him earlier this month at American Family Field, the left-hander charged with eight runs on 12 hits in four-plus innings.

That left the remnants of a Nationals bullpen that lost its three most reliable arms in the last 48 hours to cobble together five innings before this game could be completed. The four relievers who pitched tonight collectively gave up eight runs of their own to turn this one into a complete laugher (aside from those in the crowd of 25,194 who booed during the later innings).

The 25 hits allowed by the Nats shattered the previous club record of 22, set on five different occasions over the last two decades.

The Nationals filled the four roster holes that opened up over the final 36 hours leading into the trade deadline with four players from Triple-A who already were on the organization’s 40-man roster.

The Nats recalled outfielder Robert Hassell III, left-hander Shinnosuke Ogasawara and right-handers Orlando Ribalta and Ryan Loutos from Rochester, adding all four to the active roster before tonight’s series opener against the Brewers.

Hassell replaces Alex Call, who was traded to the Dodgers on Thursday for two minor league pitchers. The 23-year-old (a key acquisition in the 2022 blockbuster Juan Soto deal) makes his second big league stint after batting .218 with one homer, eight RBIs and a .497 OPS in 21 games in late May and early June. He returned to form once back at Triple-A, batting .336 with six homers, 25 RBIs and a .954 OPS in 33 games.

“Everything worked well for me,” he said of his recent performance. “I’m happy to be back.”

Hassell joins an already crowded Nationals outfield that currently features James Wood, Jacob Young and Daylen Lile and should get Dylan Crews back soon. (Crews, who made his rehab debut with Rochester on Tuesday, is off tonight but is scheduled to play six innings for the Red Wings both Saturday and Sunday as he gets back into shape more than two months after suffering an oblique strain.)

The Nationals who take the field tonight against the Brewers are going to look quite different from the Nationals who last took the field here more than a week ago. Six players were traded prior to the July 31 deadline, including arguably their three most reliable relievers. What remains is going to have to exceed expectations over the season’s final two months to avoid a complete collapse.

And the initial challenge is about as tough as it’s going to get, with the best-in-baseball Brewers in town this weekend. The Nats already were swept earlier this month in Milwaukee. They’ll hope for better results this time around, with Mitchell Parker on the mound for the series opener. Parker was roughed up by the Brewers last time, giving up seven runs (six of them coming in the third inning alone).

A Nationals lineup that actually remains intact – only bench players Amed Rosario and Alex Call wound up getting dealt – will try to get something going against Milwaukee starter Jose Quintana. The veteran lefty is doing what he always does, owner of a 3.50 ERA and 1.336 WHIP in 15 starts to date. He’s not flashy, but he gets the job done.

Reminder: Tonight’s game is only on Apple TV+. It’ll be Alex Faust, Ryan Spilborghs and Tricia Whitaker on the call.

MILWAUKEE BREWERS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 6:45 p.m. EDT
TV: Apple TV+
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Cloudy, 73 degrees, wind 8 mph in from center field

After a frantic final 48 hours, the dust has settled and the trade deadline has passed. The Nationals had their most active late-July since 2021, with interim general manager Mike DeBartolo making five deals involving six veterans traded away for 10 prospects in return. They didn’t make any earth-shattering moves, but swap out a sizeable group of players who didn’t figure into the club’s long-term plans for a larger group of young players who could some day.

Now, what’s left after all that? A host of questions that still need answering. Which we’ll attempt to do right here in our morning-after explainer …

WHY DIDN’T THEY TRADE JOSH BELL OR PAUL DEJONG?
Because, quite frankly, there weren’t any takers. DeBartolo said he attempted to make deals that would have given both veterans an opportunity to play on contenders before becoming free agents, but “ultimately nothing came together.” So while the five other vets on expiring contracts (Kyle Finnegan, Michael Soroka, Amed Rosario, Andrew Chafin, Luis Garcia) did get traded, Bell and DeJong did not and remain with the club as the calendar shifts to August.

HOW SERIOUS WERE THEY ABOUT TRADING MACKENZIE GORE?
Obviously, not serious enough to actually pull the trigger on what would’ve been the team’s biggest deadline deal since the blockbuster that brough Gore to D.C. in the first place three years ago. DeBartolo said two weeks ago he would listen to any offers that came his way from other clubs, but he viewed the 26-year-old lefty as a key part of their core group of young players they’re ultimately trying to win with. And he stayed true to his word. Though there were calls from a number of interested parties, none was willing to meet the exceptionally high price DeBartolo established for his ace. So Gore remains a National.

DID ALEX CALL REALLY FETCH THE BEST PROSPECT RETURN OF ANYONE?
Based on MLB Pipeline’s rankings, yes. The two players the Dodgers sent in exchange for Call (right-handers Sean Paul Liñan and Eriq Swan) now rate as the Nationals’ 10th and 12th best prospects, with the two players they acquired from the Cubs for Soroka (outfielder Christian Franklin, shortstop Ronny Cruz) each one notch below in spots No. 11 and 13. How did that happen? Well, DeBartolo sold high on Call, who over the last two seasons produced a solid .297/.388/.432 slash line across 350 plate appearances in a part-time role. He also comes with a whopping four remaining years of club control and two minor league options as well. That’s probably why L.A. was willing to give up a couple of decent prospects in return.

The Nationals made only two more deals before this evening's trade deadline passed, sending Kyle Finnegan to the Tigers and Alex Call to the Dodgers, ultimately choosing to retain two veterans on expiring contracts and a host of players under club control headlined by MacKenzie Gore.

The 6 p.m. deadline passed with no last-minute moves, according to a club source. The Nats listened to offers for Gore and explored deals for Josh Bell and Paul DeJong but did not find any that met their demands.

Thus was interim general manager Mike DeBartolo more active on the days leading up to July 31 than he was on the actual deadline day. The Nationals dealt four veterans (Amed Rosario, Andrew Chafin, Luis Garcia, Michael Soroka) set to become free agents over the last week. They then wrapped up the late-July feeding frenzy with two moves this afternoon. They received 10 prospects total in return, six of them pitchers.

"I feel excited about what we did the last few days, getting some really exciting young players to bolster our farm system," DeBartolo said. "At a high level, we were just looking at the roster, taking opportunities where whatever was in the long-term best interests of the Nationals, and getting as many young players as we could to get back to where we want to be next year and beyond."

The Nats traded Finnegan to the Tigers for two starting pitching prospects drafted last year, dealing their veteran closer to a contender after passing on comparable opportunities to do so the last two seasons. The trade sends the 33-year-old reliever to Detroit for right-handers Josh Randall and R.J. Sales.

It’s hard to imagine any trade deadline that approaches the Nationals’ 2021 trade deadline in terms of both volume and significant names. Over those wild 36 hours, former general manager Mike Rizzo made six deals involving eight veterans in exchange for 12 prospects, kickstarting an organizational rebuild that still continues to this day.

Mike DeBartolo probably won’t match his predecessor, but as Major League Baseball’s official deadline day arrives, the interim GM is already showing a willingness to be exceptionally active.

It began Saturday night when the Nationals dealt infielder Amed Rosario to the Yankees for minor leaguers Clayton Beeter and Browm Martinez. It continued Wednesday afternoon when they sent relievers Andrew Chafin and Luis Garcia together to the Angels for left-hander Jake Eder and first baseman Sam Brown. And it didn’t let up Wednesday night when (with the team still en route home from Houston to D.C.) Michael Soroka was traded to the Cubs for infielder Ronny Cruz and outfielder Christian Franklin (both top-15-ranked prospects in Chicago’s farm system).

All this before the actual deadline day, which figures to be plenty active in its own right.

DeBartolo has now dealt four of the team’s seven veterans on expiring contracts. He’s still got Kyle Finnegan, Josh Bell and Paul DeJong on the docket before the 6 p.m. deadline.

The Nationals continued their sell-off this evening by sending right-hander Michael Soroka to the Cubs, a source confirmed to MASNsports.com’s Mark Zuckerman.

In return, the Nats are getting 18-year-old infielder Ronny Cruz and 25-year-old outfielder Christian Franklin.

Soroka, signed to a one-year, $9 million contract in December, finishes his time with the Nats with a 3-8 record, 4.87 ERA, 1.131 WHIP and 9.6 strikeouts per nine innings over 16 starts.

Though his last start was his shortest with Washington both in terms of innings (3 ⅓) and pitches (74), he only surrendered two runs on four hits and no walks with four strikeouts. That helped make Soroka’s underlying numbers – 3.32 xERA and 4.12 FIP – more desirable than his traditional stats.

Soroka is also good in short spurts. Going back to his success as a reliever last year with the White Sox, he posted a 2.75 ERA and 1.222 WHIP in 16 appearances out of the bullpen. Through the first three innings this year, Soroka had a 3.00 ERA. The deeper in the game he got, the worse he got: In innings four through six, he had a 7.66 ERA.

HOUSTON – The Nationals’ final ballgame before the 2025 trade deadline offered a stark reminder why they’re in full-scale sell mode for the fifth straight year.

Despite the presence of their ace on the mound and an unaccomplished rookie starting for the opposition, the Nats were roughed up by the Astros during a 9-1 blowout loss that saw MacKenzie Gore’s recent struggles continue and interim manager Miguel Cairo get ejected for the first time.

Gore, whose name has emerged as a potential trade candidate – more so by contenders interested in acquiring an All-Star lefty with two-plus years of club control than by the Nationals themselves – this month, endured through his third consecutive shaky outing, this one bringing out some negative emotions from the 26-year-old.

Gore was charged with six runs in 5 1/3 innings, surrendering a pair of homers while also seeing his command go awry at times. He has now allowed 15 runs while walking 10 batters over his last 12 2/3 innings, during which time his ERA has jumped from 3.02 to 3.80.

Whether any potentially interested contenders view these recent struggles as reason to reduce their offers to interim general manager Mike DeBartolo in advance of Thursday night’s trade deadline remains to be seen. Either way, Gore unquestionably is now mired in the worst stretch of an otherwise fantastic season.

HOUSTON – The Nationals traded two more veterans on one-year deals prior to today’s series finale against the Astros, sending relievers Andrew Chafin and Luis García together to the Angels in exchange for two minor leaguers.

The trade, which was officially announced minutes before today’s game, sends two experienced bullpen arms acquired in-season to an Angels club trying to get into the American League wild card race and brings minor league left-hander Jake Eder and first baseman Sam Brown to the Nationals organization.

With roughly 28 hours to go until Thursday’s 6 p.m. Eastern trade deadline, interim general manager Mike DeBartolo is expected to be busy. He already dealt infielder Amed Rosario to the Yankees following Saturday night’s game in Minnesota, and he’s still shopping three more veterans on expiring contracts in Kyle Finnegan, Josh Bell and Paul DeJong. DeBartolo also appears willing to listen to offers for players who remain under club control beyond this season, including first baseman Nathaniel Lowe and staff ace MacKenzie Gore, who starts this afternoon against Houston.

Chafin and García both were mid-season pickups by the Nationals, who desperately needed bullpen help at the time. Chafin, 35, joined the club in early May and wound up posting a 2.70 ERA in 26 appearances facing mostly left-handed hitters. García, 38, just joined the club three weeks ago as DeBartolo’s first official acquisition after replacing longtime GM Mike Rizzo and immediately paid dividends with only one run allowed in 10 appearances.

Given their rental status, Chafin and García did not bring back a significant haul, but both Eder and Brown give the Nats young players who could ultimately develop into big leaguers.

HOUSTON – We have reached the final day of this road trip and the final game before the trade deadline. As things currently stand, the Nationals have made only one move this week, sending Amed Rosario to the Yankees after Saturday night’s game in Minnesota. Be prepared for a lot more activity between now and 6 p.m. Thursday.

In the meantime, there’s a game to be played this afternoon against the Astros, and the Nats have a chance to win their third straight series if they can beat the Astros. They’ve got their ace on the mound for what should be a fascinating start. Is this MacKenzie Gore’s final outing before a trade? How will Miguel Cairo manage this start with that in mind, pulling him early to avoid risk of injury or struggles or letting him go to give everything he’s got? Where is Gore’s mind right now as he prepares to take the mound?

A Nationals lineup that has struck out a whopping 33 times through the first two games of this series will look to make more contact today against Houston starter Ryan Gusto. The 26-year-old rookie has bounced back and forth between the rotation and bullpen, making 13 starts and 10 relief appearances and compiling a 5.18 ERA and 1.475 WHIP. He was roughed up by the Athletics last time out to the tune of eight runs in only 3 1/3 innings.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at HOUSTON ASTROS
Where: Daikin Park
Gametime: 2:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Indoors

NATIONALS
SS CJ Abrams
LF James Wood
2B Luis García Jr.
DH Josh Bell
1B Nathaniel Lowe
3B Paul DeJong
RF Daylen Lile
C Drew Millas
CF Jacob Young

HOUSTON – Michael Soroka took the mound tonight knowing there was a good chance it would be his final start for the Nationals, knowing the better he pitched, the more attractive he might make himself to any interested contenders.

He then found out that’s easier said than done, especially when the opposing lineup makes you work as much as the Astros did.

Unable to complete four innings for the first time this season due to a high pitch count, Soroka didn’t figure in the decision in the Nats’ eventual 7-4 loss. The bullpen was charged with the final five runs, turning a once-tied game into a relatively comfortable victory for Houston.

But the spotlight tonight was squarely on Soroka, who took the mound less than 48 hours before the trade deadline and once again turned in a start that included a combination of positive and negative developments.

Houston’s hitters put up a massive fight from the get-go, battling tough pitches and prolonging at-bats. Their first four batters saw a combined 28 pitches, and a whopping 13 of those were fouled off. Cam Smith then got a pitch he could do something with and sent it down the right field line for an RBI double and a 1-0 lead.

HOUSTON – Kyle Finnegan has been here before, the trade deadline fast approaching, his name bandied about as a potential target to be acquired by a contending team, the Nationals fielding offers for their veteran closer.

It happened in 2023, and he wasn’t traded. It happened in 2024, and he wasn’t traded. This time, the odds would seem to be tilted heavily toward an actual trade, given his pending status as a free agent and the Nats’ continued status at the bottom of the National League East. But Finnegan insists he’s less engaged with the process this time around.

“I definitely care way less and have been following it way less after three, four years of it,” he said. “If it happens, it happens. I’m happy here. Obviously, as players, you want to play in the postseason. I’m just really not thinking about it. I’m way more concerned with what I’m trying to do out on the field. I’m here until I’m not.”

Does Finnegan understand the irony of that sentiment, that he stressed more about getting traded in the years when he was less likely to be traded?

“The chatter’s always been out there, but I understand how the game works. And this year is probably the most likely scenario,” he said. “But at the same time, I feel like the team’s not going to get rid of guys just to get rid of them. They have to feel like they get a fair deal coming back. As likely as it is, I won’t believe it until it happens.”

HOUSTON – The Nationals (gulp) are currently on a winning streak. Three in a row. The first time they’ve done that since that trip to Seattle and Arizona two months ago. (Or maybe it was a lifetime ago.) And tonight they’ll look to make it four in a row against an Astros club that’s hanging onto first place in the American League West but is currently teetering, having lost five games in a row (the first four to the Athletics).

This very well may be Michael Soroka’s final start for the Nats. The 27-year-old right-hander has proven to be a solid addition to the team, his 4.85 ERA not really in concert with how well he’s pitched (1.128 WHIP, 9.6 strikeouts per nine innings). The right-hander has been good of late, with only four runs allowed over his last 14 2/3 innings. You have to think some team out there is willing to make Mike DeBartolo a reasonable offer for him before Thursday’s trade deadline, but it would help if he pitches well again tonight.

A Nationals lineup that scored two runs and won Monday night despite striking out 19 times faces a bit less imposing opposing starter than Framber Valdez in Jason Alexander. The 32-year-old right-hander (who is NOT the actor who played George Costanza on "Seinfeld") makes only his third big league start of the season, only his 14th career start, having been roughed up by the A’s last time out to the tune of five runs and 11 hits in six innings. Maybe he’d be better off pursuing his other dream of pretending to be an architect …

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at HOUSTON ASTROS
Where: Daikin Park
Gametime: 8:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Indoors

NATIONALS
SS CJ Abrams
LF James Wood
2B Luis García Jr.
DH Josh Bell
1B Nathaniel Lowe
3B Brady House
RF Daylen Lile
C Riley Adams
CF Jacob Young

HOUSTON – One of the most significant months in recent Nationals history already included the firing of their longtime general manager and manager. Then it featured a rare opportunity to select the No. 1 overall player in the MLB Draft. On Monday, we got news the organization's top pitching prospect needs Tommy John surgery. And now the month is about to conclude with a potentially active trade deadline that will probably include several veterans dealt before 6 p.m. Thursday, with perhaps a chance of someone younger and more prominent also departing.

Given all that, it's understandable if you haven't been paying close attention to what's actually happening on the field. Here's an update for you: The Nats have won five of their last seven games, including a taut 2-1 nailbiter over the Astros on Monday night during which they became only the fifth team in MLB history to win a nine-inning game despite striking out 19 times.

So there should be no shortage of topics to discuss today in our latest Q&A entry. As always, submit your questions in the comments section below, then check back throughout the morning for my replies ...

HOUSTON – To beat the Astros on a night in which Framber Valdez’s curveball was untouchable, the Nationals were going to need an equally effective outing from starter-turned-reliever-turned-starter Brad Lord, just enough offense from a lineup missing James Wood to give themselves a lead and then zeros from their bullpen to close things out.

When they found a way to get all of that and walk out of Daikin Park with a 2-1 victory, it might well have represented the most impressive victory of the still-nascent Miguel Cairo Era.

Behind 5 1/3 standout innings from Lord, clutch hits from Nathaniel Lowe and Riley Adams and 3 2/3 scoreless innings from the bullpen, the Nationals emerged on top in a pitchers’ duel and won for the fifth time in their last seven games. To have done that against one of the toughest opponents on their recent schedule, against their ace nonetheless, made it particularly notable.

"It's exciting, because you have to play a clean game," Lowe said. "And especially against a first-place team, you have to play a clean game anyway. We did that today."

Adams’ solo homer in the seventh off reliever Bryan King proved the difference, an opposite-field blast for his third homer in his last 11 games, equaling the total from his first 31 games.

HOUSTON – Travis Sykora, the Nationals’ top pitching prospect, needs Tommy John surgery after a recent MRI revealed a torn ulnar collateral ligament.

It’s a significant blow for the 21-year-old, who was trending toward being big league-ready sometime in 2026. Now he’s likely to miss most, if not all, of that season while recovering from the elbow surgery.

Sykora hadn’t pitched since July 5, when he departed his second start with Double-A Harrisburg after only one inning. Initial exams on his arm suggested he had not suffered a significant injury, and the organization’s medical staff decided to shut him down for two-to-three weeks before resuming a throwing program. A club source at the time compared the situation to that of fellow prospect Jarlin Susana, who recently returned to the mound after two months on the minor league injured list following his own shutdown period.

Sykora did not, however, get an MRI after first experiencing symptoms, according to multiple sources. That test was finally performed recently after the right-hander wasn’t showing signs of progress, with the results showing he actually had suffered a tear of the ulnar collateral ligament.

Surgery to reconstruct the ligament is now scheduled to take place in two weeks.

HOUSTON – Hello from Daikin Park in downtown Houston. No, it’s no longer Minute Maid Park. The memories of October 2019 from this place, however, remain, regardless of the stadium’s name.

The Nationals kick off the second leg of their road trip tonight with the opener of a three-game series against the Astros. They just took two of three from the Twins in Minnesota, this after taking two of three from the Reds in D.C. Could they actually pull off three straight series victories? This one should be a stiffer challenge than the last two, especially with Astros ace Framber Valdez on the mound tonight.

Given that tough matchup against one of the best lefties in the league, Miguel Cairo has a very different looking lineup for this one. Most notably, James Wood is not playing for only the second time in his major league career. Wood has been in a significant slump (7-for-64, eight walks, 32 strikeouts over his last 17 games) so you can understand why Cairo may believe it’s a good time to give the young star a physical and mental breather.

Brad Lord, meanwhile, makes his second start since rejoining the rotation. After tossing four innings of one-run ball against Cincinnati, the rookie right-hander should be good to build up to a heavier workload. He threw 50 pitches in that game, so perhaps 65 or so tonight if all goes well?

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at HOUSTON ASTROS
Where: Daikin Park
Gametime: 8:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN2, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Indoors

MINNEAPOLIS – The Nationals departed the Twin Cities after Sunday’s victory with a roster that experienced only one change over the course of the weekend, with Jose Tena replacing the traded Amed Rosario.

By the time the team departs Houston following Wednesday’s game, there’s a decent chance that roster will have undergone even more change.

With Major League Baseball’s trade deadline now fast approaching, we’ve reached that point in the season where anything and everything can happen, and usually does. Though the deadline doesn’t arrive until 6 p.m. Eastern Thursday (an off-day for the Nationals), plenty of deals will be consummated these next three days as teams look to get a jump on the process and add key players for a few extra games.

We’ve known for a while the Nats were going to be active. Once they endured through a miserable 7-19 month of June, and certainly once ownership made the decision July 6 to fire general manager Mike Rizzo and manager Davey Martinez, it became clear they would once again be deadline sellers and not buyers for the fifth consecutive year.

Some of these recent deadline periods have included only a handful of trade candidates. This one, though, includes a bunch, because the Nationals entered the weekend with seven veteran players on expiring contracts: Rosario, designated hitter Josh Bell, infielder Paul DeJong, starter Michael Soroka and relievers Kyle Finnegan, Andrew Chafin and Luis Garcia. Rosario was dealt to the Yankees late Saturday night for a pair of prospects. The others all have a good chance of being dealt at some point over the next 82 hours.

MINNEAPOLIS – Jake Irvin had been looking forward to this day for more than a year, from the moment Major League Baseball released its 2025 schedule during the 2024 All-Star break. The Bloomington, Minn., native had just missed pitching at Target Field the last time the Nationals played here in April 2023, called up to make his big league debut in D.C. less than two weeks later.

And when the time finally came this afternoon, Irvin wasn’t going to waste the opportunity.

With seven innings of two-run ball, Minnesota’s own gave a gathering of friends and family in attendance that numbered in the hundreds plenty of reason to cheer. And with a second straight offensive surge from a lineup that had been shut out in its two previous games, the Nationals cruised to a 7-2 victory over the Twins.

That’s now four of six for the Nats over the last week, winners of back-to-back series for the first time in nearly a month. They’re still 19 games under .500, poised to deal away several more veterans before Thursday’s trade deadline. But they are at least starting to play better baseball after a dismal start to their summer that cost their longtime general manager and manager their jobs.

"We're playing with energy. We're doing the little things the right way," said interim manager Miguel Cairo, now 6-9 since replacing Davey Martinez. "We got men on third twice and we got RBIs. So we're doing the little things the right way, what we're supposed to do as a team. It's been good. We're going to keep doing it. We're going to keep preaching that."

MINNEAPOLIS – Dylan Crews is ready to begin his long-awaited rehab assignment.

Crews, who has missed the last two months with a strained left oblique muscle, will join Triple-A Rochester to begin playing games Tuesday, the final step before his eventual return to the Nationals’ active roster. The Red Wings play on the road this week in Charlotte.

The club has taken a cautious approach with the 23-year-old outfielder, bringing him along slowly and making sure he crossed off every item on his checklist before clearing him to play in games. This last week offered him his first chance to face live pitching in the cage to go along with the regular rounds of batting practice, defensive drills and baserunning exercises he had already been participating prior to that.

“I know it took maybe a little bit longer than some people would’ve wanted it to,” he said. “But we’re trying to make sure it’s all right, and that way we don’t have to restart and have to do this whole thing all over again.”

Crews initially hurt himself on a checked swing May 20, landing on the 15-day injured list the following afternoon. He was transferred to the 60-day IL earlier this week, a procedural move needed to open a spot on the 40-man roster for left-hander Konnor Pilkington. The Nats will need to clear another 40-man spot before Crews can be activated.