Trevor Williams was the surprise star starter of the Washington Nationals before landing on the ... [+]
Just as the Washington Nationals are beginning to show signs of respectability, the unpredictable injury jinx has reared its ugly head.
Trevor Williams, by far the best starting pitcher on the staff this season, has a strained flexor muscle in his right forearm. And teammate Josiah Gray, suffering from a similar injury, has been out for the entire year, with no timetable for his return.
That’s a double whammy for Washington, a team that won its only world championship in 2019 but has been trading aging, high-salaried veterans for talented but untested prospects ever since.
Not surprisingly, Washington hit rock bottom in 2022, finishing a whopping 48 games behind with a .340 “winning percentage,” but has improved in each of the next two campaigns.
In 2023, the Nats had a .438 winning percentage but still finished 33 games behind the front-running Atlanta Braves in the National League East.
They’ve been better this year – even taking three of four from the Braves in Atlanta last week – and entered play Tuesday third in the National League East with a 27-32 mark, 14 games behind Philadelphia, with a .458 winning percentage.
When their injured starters return, the Nats could even make a run at a playoff spot.
In recent seasons, the club has traded Max Scherzer, Trea Turner, and Juan Soto, collecting a pile of prospects while also adding potential future stars with better and higher picks in the annual amateur draft.
Teams draft in reverse order of the standings, allowing weaker teams to rebuild one player at a time.
The Nationals have done that, adding fleet shortstop CJ Abrams, 20/20 outfielder Lane Thomas, and four front-line starters: MacKenzie Gore, Jake Irvin, Williams, and Gray.
Williams, 32, posted a team-best 2.22 earned run average in his first 56 1/3 innings this season, while Gray went 8-13 despite a decent 3.91 ERA last year.
The Nationals anxiously await the return of injured starter Josiah Gray, who has yet to pitch this ... [+]
In their absence, manager Dave Martinez has tried 6'4" lefty Mitchell Parker and righty Jordan Weems. The team also promoted southpaw starter DJ Herz from Triple-A Rochester. Another potential starter, Cade Cavalli, is on the mend after Tommy John surgery and will not be rushed into the rotation.
The injury to Williams is especially bad, both for him and the team. A rare starter who relies on location rather than velocity, he is enjoying his best season after serving as a spot starter and long reliever with the New York Mets.
In the second year of a two-year, $13 million pact, Williams will become a free agent for the second time this fall.
He could be traded first, however, as numerous contenders – including the Braves – could be clamoring for his services. The trade deadline is July 30.
Washington ranks 20th in the majors with a payroll of $134,162,535, according to Spotrac, but would love to move the contract of its top-paid player, veteran pitcher Patrick Corbin.
Spotrac figures show he will earn $35,416,670 this season. Next in line among the Nats is Williams at $7 million.
Because of their youth and inexperience, eleven members of the roster earn less than $1 million. Gray is one of them at $757,400.
