Despite being eligible to come off the injured list, manager Blake Butera admitted outfielder James Wood is battling through a slow recovery
With nearly 30 regular season games left, whether the Washington Nationals ultimately see James Wood make a return in 2026 has become a growing question.
Manager Blake Butera noted ahead of Sunday's series ending loss against the New York Mets that star outfielder James Wood is recovering slower than the team expected from his left oblique strain.
Wood, 23, last appeared in a game back on Aug. 3 after he appeared to grimace during an at bat before briefly staying in the game, then being replaced by Dylan Crews two innings later. Wood was promptly placed on the ten day injured list in what could have been a short term injury, but it's been a slow recovery with the coaching staff staying patient with the star outfielder.
Butera previously noted on Friday that Wood is throwing at roughly 65% intensity from 90 feet out, taking dry swings at roughly 70% intensity and swinging off a tee at roughly 60% intensity.
Yet with the Nationals now dropping three straight, five of their last six and six of their last ten to move to 60-66 overall, how aggressive the front office opts to be with a return for Wood is a question mark. That could also be said for recently acquired pitcher Connelly Early, who president of baseball operations Paul Toboni expressed confidence in making a full recovery last week despite no clear timeframe for when a potential debut will materialize. Early saw his rehab program paused earlier this month after expressing discomfort in his elbow while the 24 year old left handed pitcher last appeared in a game back on June 30 while still with the Boston Red Sox.
Wood made his way to the injured list ranked, at the time, top ten across all players with 30 home runs, 73 RBIs and a .928 OPS. Though he does head to the bench just 2-for-17 across his last five appearances, Wood has put together another career season while cutting down on his strikeout rate compared to a nearly record-setting 2025 season. Wood sits just one home run away and 37 hits away from tying his career high, while his .265 batting average would mark a new career high if the regular season ended today. Wood joined CJ Abrams as two of the three Nationals who represented the franchise at the All Star Game last month.
The Nationals are still searching for their first win as they return to the field on Tuesday night in the midst of a nine game road trip.
