Herz officially out for season following Tommy John surgery

PITTSBURGH – DJ Herz had Tommy John surgery today, officially sidelining the Nationals left-hander for the 2025 season after three weeks spent hoping the major elbow procedure would not be necessary.

Herz had his elbow ligament replaced by orthopedist Keith Meister in Dallas, according to manager Davey Martinez. He did not get the additional internal brace procedure some pitchers, including teammate Josiah Gray, have opted for in recent years.

Today’s news came three weeks after Herz landed on the 60-day injured list with a sprained ligament, an ailment he reported after the Nationals initially optioned him to Triple-A Rochester following a disappointing spring in which his velocity was down. The 24-year-old sought opinions from three doctors, hoping one of them would offer him the option to come back via rest and rehab only, but there was consensus on the need for surgery.

“Have hope. Have faith,” Herz wrote on his Instagram account below a photo of him in a hospital bed following today’s surgery. “The only easy day is yesterday. Believe in something you can’t see. Buckle down and keep believing.”

Acquired from the Cubs in July 2023 for Jeimer Candelario, Herz had been one of the pleasant surprises of the 2024 season, posting a 4.19 ERA and 106 strikeouts over 88 2/3 innings while authoring some of the Nats’ most dominant starts of the year.

He reported for spring training set to compete with fellow lefties Mitchell Parker and Shinnosuke Ogasawara for the final spot in the Opening Day bullpen but never looked like himself, his fastball velocity dropping into the high 80s while also struggling to throw strikes. He told club officials and media members he was physically fine and that he wasn’t throwing as hard due to a lack of adrenaline, noting his velocity had always ticked up once he reached the regular season.

The Nationals wound up giving the fifth starter’s job to Parker and optioning both Herz and Ogasawara to Triple-A. Herz never made it to Rochester, going on the IL before Opening Day and then seeking out medical opinions on his elbow.

He now will have to hope to be fully healed and back for the start of the 2026 season, though the club probably will want to hold him back and manage his workload.

“He did well for us last year,” Martinez said. “He has a minor setback, and he’s got to build himself up to get back here sometime next year. It’s a long recovery. It’s a long road. But a lot of guys have done it, and done it really well.”

The Nationals entered spring training touting improved pitching depth, but they’ve already seen that depth tested just three weeks into the season. In addition to Herz, Michael Soroka is currently on the IL with a right biceps strain, though he took a big step toward his return this afternoon.

Soroka threw 37 pitches during a simulated game at PNC Park and emerged feeling good about his arm, according to Martinez. The 27-year-old, who signed this winter for $9 million, could be cleared now to go on a minor league rehab assignment, making one or two starts for one of the club’s affiliates before he’s activated.