Rendon to injured list, Nats purchase contract of Jennings

The Nationals finally had to give up on hoping Anthony Rendon could quickly get back from a left elbow injury.

The Nats placed Rendon on the 10-day injured list with a left elbow contusion on Tuesday prior to their second game against the Cardinals. The team has purchased the contract of left-hander Dan Jennings from Double-A Harrisburg to add depth to the bullpen. To make room for Jennings on the 40-man roster, the club designated right-hander Austin Adams for assignment.

Rendon's status is not good news for the Nats, who have watched their offense struggle to put together rallies without his services.

Rendon was enjoying a 17-game hitting streak, the longest in the majors this season, hitting .400 (26-for-65) with 10 doubles, six home runs, 18 RBI, nine walks and 20 runs scored before he was hit by a pitch in a game in Miami April 20. He has made one appearance since then, and manager Davey Martinez did not use him as a pinch-hitter in a crucial situation during the late innings of last night's 6-3 setback to the Cardinals.

Without Rendon in the lineup on a regular basis the last week, the Nats have averaged only 4.0 runs the last four games. In three of those games, they scored only three runs.

"There's really no explanation," Martinez said of the Nats' recent struggles to score runs. "Like I said before, I think sometimes we get into a little chase mode, a lot of times just take your walks and be patient and get a good pitch to hit."

The 32-year-old Jennings posted a 1-0 record with a 2.45 ERA across three appearances (3.2 IP) for the Senators. He struck out two batters, issued no walks and surrendered just one run on four hits (4-for-15) along the way. He was 4-5 with a 3.22 ERA in 72 appearances for the Brewers last season.

Jennings has a career 2.96 ERA in 382 games in seven major league seasons with the Brewers (2018), Rays (2017), White Sox (2015-17) and Marlins (2012-14).

Rendon's left elbow injury is retroactive to April 27. He'll be eligible to return May 6.

Adams, 27, made nine appearances with the Nats, going 0-0 with a 3.86 ERA.

So with regular starters Trea Turner, Ryan Zimmerman and Rendon all out to injury, the focus appears to have shifted from fixing the bullpen to finding a way for the Nats to get the offense going.