Susana (lat) faced hitters last week and could see his first game action of the season soon, Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic reports.
The 22-year-old right-hander with the triple-digit fastball underwent lat surgery last September, but Susana appears to be entering the final stages of his recovery. The Nationals still plan to continue his development as a starting pitcher once he's activated from the IL, but if the team does squeak into the playoffs in 2026, his elite raw stuff could make him an option for a Washington bullpen that has lacked reliable high-leverage relievers all season.
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Nationals' Jarlin Susana: Throws from mound
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Susana threw from a mound this week for the first time since undergoing lat surgery last September, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports.
The Nationals' pitching prospect still has a long way to go in his recovery, however. Susana will continuing his throwing progression at the team's spring training complex in Florida, and as yet there's no target date for him to return to game action.
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Nationals' Jarlin Susana: Diagnosed with lat strain
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Susana has been diagnosed with a right lat strain, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
Susana had to be removed from his last start at Double-A Harrisburg with the injury. He will meet with the Nationals' medical staff soon to discuss his options, but the injury will likely prevent Susana from pitching again this season. The 21-year-old has collected a 3.51 ERA and 95:34 K:BB over 56.1 innings covering 14 starts between High-A Wilmington and Harrisburg in 2025. Susana previously missed time this season due to a sprained elbow.
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Nationals' Jarlin Susana: Dealing with triceps soreness
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Susana was diagnosed with right triceps soreness after being removed from his start Saturday with Double-A Harrisburg, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
The 21-year-old allowed three runs over 1.2 frames prior to exiting the contest, which ended a stretch of five consecutive starts in which he surrendered one or fewer runs. The severity of the injury isn't yet known, leaving Susana's availability for his next turn through Harrisburg's rotation up in the air.
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Nationals' Jarlin Susana: Fans career-high 13 at Double-A
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Susana struck out 13 over five innings for Double-A Harrisburg on Tuesday, allowing one run on two hits and two walks.
The 13 Ks were a career high for the 21-year-old right-hander, and per Jesse Borek of MLB.com, Susana's fastball topped out at 103 mph in the outing. Over six starts since returning from a UCL sprain in late July, Susana has posted a 2.28 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 44:8 K:BB in just 23.2 innings. If he can stay healthy, he seems ticketed for a big-league debut in 2026, potentially adding another building block to a Nationals rotation that already features two young pitchers with ace-level upside in MacKenzie Gore and Cade Cavalli.
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Nationals' Jarlin Susana: Activated off minor-league IL
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Susana (elbow) was activated from the 7-day injured list at Double-A Harrisburg on Thursday, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.
Susana hasn't pitched for Harrisburg since early May after being diagnosed with a right elbow sprain, but he made three rehab starts with High-A Wilmington and had a 16:2 K:BB over nine innings. The righty has collected a 3.86 ERA and 54:22 K:BB over 35 frames covering nine starts between the two stops this season.
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Nationals' Jarlin Susana: Among seven reassigned
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The Nationals reassigned Susana to minor-league camp Tuesday, Spencer Nusbaum of The Washington Post reports.
Susana is the most notable among the seven the Nats cut from big-league camp. The big right-hander has yet to advance past A-ball, so he wasn't under real consideration for the Opening Day roster, but Susana is among the club's top prospects following a 2024 campaign which featured 157 strikeouts over 103.2 frames. Susana finished last season at High-A Wilmington and could either return there to start 2025 or get bumped up to Double-A Harrisburg.
Susana hit 100 mph with his fastball in his first bullpen session of the spring and looked dominant during a live batting practice session Wednesday as he worked in his slider, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.
The 20-year-old right-hander will continue to be developed as a starter in the minors, but Susana could likely make an immediate impact in the majors if he got fast-tracked as a reliever. Improving his command and refining his changeup will be Susana's main goals in 2025 after he posted a 4.34 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and eye-popping 157:48 K:BB through 103.2 innings last season split between Single-A and High-A.
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Nationals' Jarlin Susana: Dominant finish at High-A
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Susana logged a 2.40 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 27 strikeouts in 15 innings over his final three starts for High-A Wilmington.
The big righty had a pair of 10-strikeout performances to put a bow on his age-20 campaign. His fielding-independent stats paint a better picture (FIP and xFIP below 3.00 at Single-A and High-A) than his 4.34 ERA and 1.31 WHIP in 103.2 innings across the two levels. Susana's 35.4 percent strikeout rate ranked fourth in the minors among pitchers who threw 100-plus innings this season.
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Nationals' Jarlin Susana: Dazzles versus big-leaguers Tuesday
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Susana struck out two in a perfect eighth inning during Tuesday's exhibition game between the Nationals and the organization's top prospects.
Just a few days after his 20th birthday, Susana nearly produced an immaculate inning against big-league hitters, but after Joey Gallo and Riley Adams struck out on six pitches, Jacob Young was able to weakly ground out. Per Bobby Blanco of MASN Sports, Susana topped out at 102.4 mph with his fastball and sat around 101 mph while also working in his potentially plus slider. Part of the package the Nats received for Juan Soto from the Padres, Susana made 16 starts at Single-A Fredericksburg last season and posted a disappointing 5.55 ERA and 56:38 K:BB over 58.1 innings. Washington isn't going to give up on him working out as a starting pitcher quite yet, but if he were to shift to a relief role, the young flamethrower could climb the ladder very quickly.
