The Washington Nationals have made two more pitching moves with Luis Perales now set to make his debut with the team
The Washington Nationals are set to take the mound on Wednesday night in hopes of picking up the second win of the series against the Colorado Rockies, yet they will do so with yet another new face in the bullpen after finalizing two more moves with one formally announced.
The Nationals announced that right handed pitcher Jake Bird has been designated for assignment, ending his short stint with the Nationals. Bird, 30, was one of four players that the club received in the trade ahead of the deadline for first baseman Luis Garcia Jr.
Bird appeared in the loss on Tuesday night after he tossed one strikeout and gave up one hit in 18 total pitches and one inning. It marked his fifth consecutive scoreless outing, all coming in one inning each, after he allowed a combined three earned runs across two consecutive appearance at the beginning of the month.
The right hander notched a 3.24 ERA and 0.96 WHIP across his eight appearances in Washington, yet his absence will pave the way for another familiar name to make his season debut.
The Nationals are expected to recall right handed pitcher Luis Perales from Triple A Rochester where the 23 year old is expected to stay in a bullpen role.
Perales arrived in Washington after the offseason trade with the Boston Red Sox that landed the young prospect with the Nationals in exchange for Jake Bennett, who has enjoyed a strong 2026 season where he has remained part of the rotation. This marks a notable return for Perales, ranked the 12th best prospect in the Nationals farm system, given he underwent Tommy John surgery back in June 2024. He then returned to the minors toward the end of the 2025 regular season where he made three appearances between Double A and Triple A, then starting in six games in the Arizona Fall League where he posted an 0-2 record and 10.32 ERA.
In Triple A Rochester this season, Perales owns a 3.64 ERA and 1.30 WHIP paired with a 7-5 overall record with 97 strikeouts across 96.1 innings.
Perales is expected to be available on Wednesday night with Matt Waldron, who was activated on Tuesday, expected to draw the start in his Nationals debut. First pitch is set for 6:45 PM as the two teams are in the midst of a four game series at Nationals Park with Washington sitting ten games below .500.
