The Washington Nationals have optioned one pitcher to Triple A while recalling another to the active roster
The Washington Nationals ended its five game losing streak after a six-run eighth inning proved to be the difference on Monday night, setting the stage for the first home win of the season. Yet the performance out of the bullpen led to a pair of moves with president of baseball operations Paul Toboni looking to find an answer for the early season bullpen struggles.
The Nationals announced that right handed pitcher Andre Granillo has been optioned to Triple A Rochester with Paxton Schultz getting recalled from Triple A Rochester.
Granillo came in for relief of Ken Waldichuk in Monday's win, yet tossed a pair of walks while giving up two hits, along with a sac bunt, and the two runs that helped St. Louis build a 6-3 lead late in the game. Washington was able to bounce back thanks to a James Wood three run home run tying the game in the bottom of the inning, but it marked a concern for Washington given the ongoing bullpen struggles.
In five appearances to start the 2026 season, Granillo has posted a 12.46 ERA across just 4.1 innings with his lone strikeout coming against the Philadelphia Phillies in what ended up being a 6-5 loss in extra innings.
Through spring training, Granillo made eight appearances across 8.2 innings where he allowed six hits and four runs along with six strikeouts and three walks.
Schultz, meanwhile, first joined the organization days after the calendar turned to 2026 after being claimed off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays, becoming a possible solution in the bullpen.
In 13 games with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2025, Schultz finished with a 4.38 ERA across 24.2 innings while allowing four earned runs and 27 hits.
With his Nationals debut ahead of him, the Utah native will look to provide a spark to alleviate a growing concern.
Schultz began his professional career after being selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 14th round of the 2019 MLB Draft before his five year stint with the Blue Jays, eventually making his MLB debut in 2025.
Meanwhile, the Nationals enter Tuesday's matchup against the Cardinals with a league's worst 6.24 combined ERA and 21 home runs allowed, while becoming the first team to allow 100 hits despite being roughly one week into the 2026 regular season. New pitching coach Simon Matthews will look to reverse the trend with Schultz looking to catch on.