The Washington Nationals have made decisions on a pair of pitchers during the final week of the 2026 regular season
After getting back in the win column on Tuesday night courtesy of another CJ Abrams accolade, the Washington Nationals are set for the final road game of the 2026 regular season on Wednesday afternoon with the rubber match against the Detroit Tigers with first pitch set for 1:10 PM.
The Nationals will turn to a bullpen game to close out the series with Richard Lovelady set to draw the start, replacing Cade Cavalli after manager Blake Butera revealed his 2026 regular season has come to a close. Yet the team also announced a pair of roster moves across the pitching staff, including one headed back to the minors.
After the 23 year old made his MLB debut last month, the Nationals announced that left handed pitcher Jackson Kent has been optioned back down to Triple A Rochester following Tuesday’s win. Kent allowed one earned run and six hits while tossing a pair of walks and three strikeouts in the win. It marked his fourth appearance of the month, though he has allowed at least one earned run in all eight appearances this season. Kent owns a 2-4 record with a 5.94 ERA and 1.79 WHIP through eight appearances and 36.1 innings pitched this season.
The news came days after the team also announced the unconditional release waivers on right handed pitcher Cole Henry. The 27 year old was released to make room for DJ Herz, his first appearance in the MLB in nearly two years, though it ends a disappointing stint through the 2026 season. Washington also announced that Gus Varland has been recalled from Triple A Rochester, now set to make his first MLB appearance since July 28.
A former second round pick during the 2020 MLB Draft, Henry was in the mix alongside Clayton Beeter to replace Luis Ferrer as the Nationals' closer in 2026, though that did not materialized as hoped. Henry appeared in just 11 games in his second season with the Nationals this season, owning an 0-2 record with a 7.90 ERA and 1.76 WHIP. Henry last appeared in a game back in July as battled back from UCL surgery last season, though was with the minor league for the bulk of the 2026 season. His injury in the minors prevented Henry from being designated for assignment, paving the way for the Nationals to explore other routes to resolve his status and end the experiment.
Through his two seasons with the organization, Henry owns a 5.02 ERA and 1.49 WHIP across 68 appearances and 66.1 innings pitched.
