The Nationals made some moves on the pitching staff today, with both right-hander Cole Henry and left-hander Ken Waldichuk landing on the 15-day injured list. Henry has a rotator cuff strain and Waldichuk left forearm tightness. Mark Zuckerman of Nats Journal reports that Waldichuk has been recommended for Tommy John surgery but is seeking a second opinion. Manager Blake Butera says that Henry got an MRI that didn’t find anything too serious, per Zuckerman. Right-handers Jackson Rutledge and Orlando Ribalta were recalled as the corresponding moves for the IL placements.
It’s brutal news for Waldichuk, who was clearly hurt in yesterday’s game. After throwing a pitch, he pointed to his elbow and walked off the field with trainers. That makes today’s update fairly unsurprising but it’s nonetheless awful for the southpaw.
Waldichuk previously underwent Tommy John surgery in May of 2024, then a member of the Athletics. His missed that entire season. He was back on the mound in 2025 but was kept in the minors. He rode the transaction carousel this winter after the A’s designated him for assignment. He was claimed by Atlanta, went to the Rays in a cash deal, then to Washington via waivers.
He opened the season in the Washington bullpen and made five appearances, his first big league action since 2023. Now it seems he’s slated for yet another lengthy absence. Assuming his second opinion confirms the first, he’ll go under the knife, miss the remainder of 2026 and will be recovering for a chunk of 2027 as well. That will mean a stretch where he spent the bulk of four years in the injury wilderness.
Waldichuk was originally drafted by the Yankees and was traded to the A’s as part of the 2022 deal which sent Frankie Montas and Lou Trivino to the Bronx. In the year-plus after that deal, he tossed 175 2/3 innings for the A’s with a 5.28 earned run average. He had often put up better numbers in the minors, including a 2.84 ERA on the farm in 2022, which presumably played a role in so many clubs being interested in him this winter.
But he is now facing a tough road ahead. He’ll be transferred to the 60-day injured list at some point, even if he avoids surgery. If the surgery comes to pass, he’ll still be mid-recovery at season’s end. Waldichuk just qualified for arbitration a few months ago as a Super Two player. He can be retained for 2027 via arbitration and controlled through 2029 but he’ll be a non-tender candidate if he’s still months away from being healthy.
Photo courtesy of Patrick Gorski, Imagn Images
