The Washington Nationals are back in bullpen shuffle mode, and this time the move brings Paxton Schultz back to the majors just before a series with the Toronto Blue Jays begins Monday.
Washington announced that Schultz was recalled from Triple-A Rochester, with left-hander Matt Krook designated for assignment to clear the spot. Krook’s latest outing made the decision easy to see coming: on Sunday, he walked three batters in the top of the ninth inning without recording an out, forcing the Nationals to pull him and turn to Clayton Beeter for back-to-back appearances.
Krook had already been through this once before. He was DFA’d on July 12, then became a free agent after refusing an outright assignment to Rochester. The Nationals brought him back on a major league deal July 19 after left-hander PJ Poulin landed on the injured list, but after Sunday’s mess, a third run with the club looks unlikely.
Schultz, meanwhile, is getting another shot in the organization that claimed him off waivers from the Blue Jays on Jan. 9 after Toronto designated him for assignment. At the time, Washington was trying to rebuild its relief corps with arms that had some big league experience, and Schultz looked like a useful addition after posting a 4.38 ERA in 13 appearances, including two starts, with 28 strikeouts and eight walks over 24 2/3 innings in 2025.
It hasn’t gone nearly as cleanly since then. Schultz opened the season on the injured list with right elbow inflammation, and in the big leagues he has a 5.87 ERA across 25 appearances, including one start.
Even so, there’s at least some reason for optimism in Rochester, where he has turned in a 2.30 ERA over 14 outings. In 15 2/3 innings, he has struck out 16 and walked five.
Whether that translates against major league hitters is the real question. Washington is still hunting for dependable bullpen help, so Schultz is back in a spot where he can make a case for himself. If he does, it would be a major development for a Nationals team that needs its pitching staff to settle down if it’s going to make a push down the stretch.
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