The Washington Nationals added outfielder Andrew Pinckney to the big-league roster on Tuesday, selecting his contract and putting outfielder James Wood on the 10-day Injured List with a left oblique strain. Nationals President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni announced the moves.
Pinckney arrives after a strong run at Triple-A Rochester, where he hit .271 in 94 games and piled up 11 doubles, a triple, 13 home runs, 51 RBI, 37 walks, 18 stolen bases and 63 runs scored. Within the Nationals system this season, he finished fourth in hits with 92 and runs with 63, while also ranking sixth in batting average at .271 and total bases with 144. His 13 home runs tied for eighth.
The 25-year-old native of Tuscaloosa, Ala., was drafted by Washington in the fourth round of the 2023 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Alabama. Since then, he has become one of the organization’s most productive minor leaguers, leading all Nationals Minor Leaguers in home runs with 45, hits with 397, total bases with 597 and runs scored with 242.
He also ranks tied for second in RBI with 186 and third in average at .271, on-base percentage at .347, slugging at .407, OPS at .754, walks with 141 and stolen bases with 89.
Pinckney was named the Nationals Way award winner in 2025 as the Minor League player who best demonstrates the professionalism, leadership, loyalty, passion, selflessness, determination, and work ethic required to play the game the "Washington Nationals Way" following a season in which he set career marks in nearly every offensive category.
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James Woods Absence Just Created A Big Chance In Washington
An injury to James Wood has opened a fresh lane for Washingtons outfield depth, with manager Blake Butera confirming the rookie will be sidelined. The move leaves the Nationals without one of their most important young bats for at least a little while, and it also forces the club to reshuffle its roster at a time when every spot matters.
Andrew Pinckney is the player getting the call, and the 25-year-old prospect now has a real chance to step onto a big league field for the first time. Washington already had a 40-man opening to work with, so the transaction is clean on paper, but the larger question is how the Nationals choose to cover Woods absence and what Pinckney can do with the opportunity if he gets into a game. [Read more 🡒]
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Phillies Catch Nationals At A Tense Time In This Series
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The bigger concern, of course, is the loss of James Wood, who was moved to the injured list with a left oblique strain. Any time a young cornerstone goes down, it changes the look of a lineup and the feel of a matchup, especially against a division opponent like Philadelphia. For Pinckney, the timing creates an immediate opening, and for the Nationals it leaves one more question hanging as they try to steady themselves in the middle of a tense series. [Read more 🡒]