Nationals Designate Zack Littell for Assignment

The Washington Nationals have designated right-handed pitcher Zack Littell for assignment, as announced by the team. His roster position will be taken by right-hander Brad Lord, who is coming back from the 15-day injured list.

This season, Littell has pitched 112 1/3 innings, maintaining an ERA of 4.97, which is slightly below 5.00. His strikeout rate has dropped to a career-low of 14.6%, while his walk rate stands at 7.3%, higher than his previous three-season average of 4.2%. Despite a challenging start to the season, Littell has shown improvement since May, achieving a 3.98 ERA during that period.

Littell was signed by the Nationals to a one-year, $7 million contract in March after a slow free agency. He is owed approximately $4.85 million, which includes his remaining salary and a buyout for a mutual option. Once he clears waivers, he will be released, and any new team would only need to pay him the prorated league minimum for time spent on their roster.