Nationals Rebuild Bullpen After Littell Move | Washington Nationals News

**Corey** (0:00)
On August 5th, the Washington Nationals just made another move with their pitching staff, designating Zack Littell for assignment. This comes as they activate Brad Lord from the injured list. Lord, who had been dealing with some left side tightness, was actually one of their better relievers before getting hurt, so his return is a positive for the team.
Littell was brought in on a one-year deal worth $7 million, with hopes he'd be a solid addition to the rotation. He had a decent track record with his previous teams, but it just didn't translate to Washington. The Nationals tried different strategies to make it work, even using openers before him, but his performance was inconsistent. After a rough April, he showed some improvement in May, but overall, his earned run average for the season was nearly five.
Lord's return is significant though. With him back, alongside other arms like Clayton Beater and Trevor Williams, the Nationals now have what looks like their strongest bullpen on paper. This season, even though their playoff hopes are pretty much gone, getting these key bullpen pieces back together gives the organization a look at what their Relief Corps could be in the future. It's a chance to see how these guys perform as a unit before the season wraps up. This has been Washington Nationals News Today, powered by AI.
I'm Corey with the story.