MLB Player News

DeJong (nose) was held overnight at a Pittsburgh hospital for observation but was released Wednesday, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

DeJong was hit in the face by a pitch in Tuesday's game versus the Pirates and was placed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with a fractured nose. The Nationals are hopeful DeJong isn't dealing with any additional injuries, but they won't know for sure until the swelling around his eye goes down. Amed Rosario is at third base for Washington on Wednesday and should see the bulk of the time there while DeJong is out.

Nationals manager Dave Martinez confirmed that Herz (elbow) underwent Tommy John surgery Wednesday in Dallas, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.

TalkNats.com was first to report earlier Wednesday that Herz had decided to undergo the season-ending procedure, though it wasn't immediately clear when the surgery would take place. Rather than scheduling surgery for a later date, Herz elected to have the operation performed by renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. Keith Meister, whom he had recently visited for a second opinion on the partially torn UCL in his left elbow. Martinez noted that Herz's surgery didn't involve the insertion of an internal brace, so he'll likely be in line for a 14-to-18-month rehab process rather than a 12- or 13-month recovery. The 24-year-old is thus unlikely to be ready to contribute for the Nationals until around the middle of the 2026 season.

Young is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Pirates.

Young will head to the bench for the second time in three games while Dylan Crews receives the starting nod in center field. Though Young (.700 OPS) has handily outproduced Crews (.290 OPS) this season, the Nationals have more of an investment in Crews -- the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 First-Year Player Draft -- and are likely to keep him involved in at least a part-time role while he's up with the big club. Young thus looks like he could be stuck in a timeshare with Crews unless the Nationals choose to option the latter player to Triple-A Rochester if he continues to flounder at the plate.

Nunez will start at shortstop and bat ninth in Wednesday's game against the Pirates.

With Paul DeJong (nose) joining CJ Abrams (hip) on the injured list Tuesday, Nunez looks as though he could have a clear path to regular playing time in the short term. He had already started at shortstop in the Nationals' previous two games, going 4-for-7 with a double, a stolen base, two runs and two RBI.

The Padres acquired Johnson and cash considerations from the Pirates on Wednesday in exchange for Brett Sullivan, Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reports.

Johnson got into 47 games as a reserve outfielder for the Padres last season before signing with the Pirates over the winter on a minor-league deal. He'll presumably report to Triple-A El Paso, where he'll provide outfield depth.

Bart (back) remains out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Nationals.

It's the fifth straight start Bart has missed due to lower-back soreness. Bart had been set to go through pregame testing Tuesday to determine his status, and while he has not yet been placed on the injured list, Bart clearly is not yet ready to play. Henry Davis will start at catcher and bat ninth Wednesday.

Nootbaar went 1-for-3 with a three-run homer and two walks in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Astros.

Nootbaar's third homer of the year proved to be the difference in Wednesday's win -- he launched a Ronel Blanco curveball 418 feet to center field in the fifth inning, putting St. Louis ahead 3-1. Nootbaar had a strong series against the Astros, going 4-for-9 with three extra-base hits in three games. He's now batting .284 with an .885 OPS, 10 RBI, 12 runs scored and a pair of stolen bases through his first 83 plate appearances this season.

Marlins manager Clayton McCullough indicated Wednesday that Perez (elbow) is about a month away from beginning a rehab assignment, Isaac Azout of FishOnFirst.com reports.

Perez faced hitters Wednesday, throwing 45 pitches with three "up-downs." Everything appears to be progressing as scheduled from April 2024 Tommy John surgery for Perez, and it sounds like a plan for rehab games will be mapped out in the not-too-distant future. If the right-hander does indeed begin a rehab assignment around mid-May, that would likely put him on pace for a season debut in mid-June.

Wagaman is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Diamondbacks.

Wagaman will hit the bench after starting each of the past four games at either first base or designated hitter while going 5-for-15 with two doubles, three walks, three runs and one RBI. The Marlins will likely continue to make room for the 27-year-old in the lineup against left-handed pitching, but his opportunities to play against righties may be more sporadic after Miami brought back Jesus Sanchez (oblique) from the injured list Tuesday.

Helsley earned the save in Wednesday's 4-1 win over the Astros, working around a walk in a scoreless ninth inning.

Helsley has held opponents scoreless in six of his seven appearances this season while improving to 3-for-4 in save chances after leading the league with 49 saves in 2024. His ERA is down to 2.57, with a 1.57 WHIP and 9:6 K:BB through seven innings to start the campaign.