Cronin (back) was sent outright Friday to Triple-A Rochester, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
Cronin passed through waivers unclaimed after being designated for assignment by the Nationals on Monday. The 26-year-old left-hander battled back problems in 2023 and struggled to a 5.02 ERA and 13:14 K:BB in 14.1 innings with Triple-A Rochester. He underwent surgery in August to repair a herniated disc.
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Nationals' Matt Cronin: Designated for assignment
Rotowire
Cronin (back) was designated for assignment by the Nationals on Monday, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
The Nationals did some 40-man roster housecleaning Monday and Cronin has lost his spot. Cronin, who has never appeared in the majors, underwent back surgery in August and it's unclear when he might be ready to pitch again.
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Nationals' Matt Cronin: Gets season-ending back surgery
Rotowire
Cronin announced Wednesday via his personal Instagram account that he underwent season-ending surgery to address a herniated disc.
Cronin hadn't pitched for Triple-A Rochester since mid-May due to what was a previously undisclosed injury, but the 25-year-old left-hander took to social media to shed more light on his situation. In his post, Cronin noted that he had been dealing with left shoulder and arm pain for two years, but it wasn't until he had his spine examined last month that doctors were able to determine the source of his discomfort. Cronin, who occupies a spot on the Nationals' 40-man roster, is without a clear timeline to resume full baseball activities and may face an uphill battle to gain clearance for the start of spring training.
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Nationals' Matt Cronin: Goes on minor-league IL
Rotowire
Cronin (undisclosed) was placed on the 7-day injured list Tuesday at Triple-A Rochester, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.
There is no official diagnosis yet, but Cronin had been struggling badly with Rochester this season after looking like one of the more promising young relievers in the Nationals' system last year. He posted a 2.42 ERA with 56 strikeouts over 52 innings between Double-A and Triple-A in 2022. Conversely, he's pitched to a 5.02 ERA and 13:14 K:BB through 14.1 frames this season.
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Nationals' Matt Cronin: Sent packing to Triple-A
Rotowire
The Nationals optioned Cronin to Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
Cronin earned a spot on the 40-man roster over the winter after a nice performance between Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Rochester. He'll surely debut this season.
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Nationals' Matt Cronin: Joins 40-man roster
Rotowire
Cronin was added to the Nationals' 40-man roster Tuesday.
Cronin split time between Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Rochester in 2022, recording a 2.38 ERA and 1.09 WHIP between the two levels. The 25-year-old lefty will likely begin 2023 in Triple-A in preparation for joining Washington's bullpen at some point during the season.
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Nationals' Matt Cronin: Invited to big-league camp
Rotowire
The Nationals announced Wednesday that Cronin would be invited to major-league spring training as a non-roster invitee.
Cronin was part of the Nationals' 60-man player pool in 2020 but spent the entire season at the alternate training site. The southpaw was dominant for Low-A Hagerstown in 2019, posting a 0.82 ERA and 41:11 K:BB over 22 relief innings. The southpaw likely needs more minor-league experience prior to making his debut with the big-league club, but he should have a chance to develop this spring as a non-roster invitee.
