The Nationals head to Texas with little margin left to work with, and this three-game set against the Rangers could be the one that decides whether a late push stays alive at all.
Washington has stumbled through August at 5-10 and comes in on the heels of a three-game sweep by the New York Mets. That skid has left the Nats 6 games under .500 and 7.0 games out of a playoff spot. If they’re going to keep any real hope of playing meaningful games down the stretch, the turnaround has to start now.
The Rangers aren’t exactly cruising, either. They’re sitting at 61-64 and holding the last Wild Card spot while also trailing the Houston Astros by 2.0 games in the AL West. So this series carries weight for both clubs, with Texas trying to tighten its grip on the postseason picture and Washington trying to stop the slide before it gets any worse.
Tuesday night’s opener at 8:05 PM ET sends Jackson Kent to the mound for the Nationals against Cal Quantrill. Kent is still in the early stages of his MLB run, and his first start showed both sides of the ledger: 6 strikeouts over 4.0 innings, but also 5 walks and 3 earned runs. The 23-year-old gets another shot here to make his case for more time on the big-league roster.
Quantrill, meanwhile, has put together a strong bounce-back. His ERA has dropped by almost 3 full points from 2025 to 2026, and after spending much of the early season in the bullpen, he’s earned a longer look in the rotation.
Wednesday’s game at 8:05 PM ET has Cade Cavalli lined up for Washington, with Texas still listing TBA on the other side. Cavalli’s last outing was the best of his season: 8.0 scoreless innings, just 1 hit allowed, and 10 strikeouts. He enters the series as the Nationals’ top starter and will be chasing his 11th win.
That middle game may be Washington’s best chance on paper, especially if the Nationals can grab Game 1. Texas does not have a probable starter listed, and if the Rangers go with a bullpen game, they could be stretched thin if the opener turns against them.
The series wraps with Andrew Alvarez on the mound for Washington, while Texas again has no probable starter listed. Alvarez has quietly put together a solid August, posting a 2.60 ERA across 3 starts. He’s also been working deeper into games, and that kind of stretch would only strengthen his case to stick in the rotation in 2027 and beyond.
In Other News...
Nationals May Be Hinting At A Surprising Luis Perales Role
As the Nationals head into a road series against the Rangers, the club is still sorting out how to best use some of its younger arms, and Luis Perales has emerged as one of the more intriguing names in that conversation. The right-hander has pitched well at Triple-A Rochester, where his splitter has drawn plenty of swings and misses, and his recent usage offered another hint that Washington is thinking beyond the traditional starter's path for him right now.
Perales was shifted off a scheduled start and into a shorter relief outing, the kind of move that can say a lot about how a team sees a pitcher in the short term. With Washington appearing set to roll forward with its current five-man rotation, Perales could be in line for a September look out of the bullpen even though his long-term track still points toward starting. [Read more 🡒]
James Woods Recovery Just Became A Bigger Nationals Concern
James Woods stint on the injured list has stretched past the point the Nationals likely wanted when he first went down with a left oblique strain on Aug. 4, and the latest update only adds to the concern. Manager Blake Butera said Woods recovery has been slower than expected, which is why the club has been taking a cautious approach to his rehab rather than trying to rush him back into action.
The bigger issue now is the lingering discomfort that continues to shape his timeline. Wood remains in a holding pattern as he works through the injury, and the best current read is that a return will come sometime in September, depending on how his body responds along the way. For a Nationals team trying to keep moving forward, that makes his progress one of the more closely watched developments in the coming weeks. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Face A Real Shortstop Dilemma With Nasim Nunez
With CJ Abrams sliding over to second base, the Nationals have a real decision to live with at shortstop for the rest of the season, and Nasim Nunez is the player most likely to get the longest look there. The upside is obvious enough in spots: he brings speed, and his defense has generally held up well enough to keep him in the conversation. But the gap between a useful defender and an everyday shortstop is wide, and Washington is learning how hard it can be to bridge it when the bat is still lagging.
Nunezs offensive struggles remain the biggest reason the position feels unsettled, especially for a club trying to sort out who can actually handle regular duty. Prospect Seaver King is part of the discussion as a possible alternative, but the Nationals are still weighing whether Nunezs glove, base running and flashes of competence are enough to justify the role. Even the numbers paint him in different lights, which is another sign this is less a clean answer than a hold-your-breath proposition for a team that needs the spot to settle down. [Read more 🡒]