Nationals Add Vet Littell, Shake Up Rotation

The Washington Nationals have bolstered their pitching staff with the addition of Zack Littell, a 30-year-old right-hander, just weeks before Opening Day. Littell, who had a breakout year in 2025 with a 3.81 ERA across 32 starts, will join the team following his release from the Reds. The Nationals designated lefty Richard Lovelady for assignment to make room for Littell. This move marks the fourth veteran pitcher the team has added this spring, following starters Miles Mikolas and Drew Smith, and reliever Cionel Pérez. Littells career trajectory is notable, as he was a 11th-round pick by the Mariners in 2013 and bounced through six organizations before finding success as a starter with the Rays in 2023. If used in the rotation, Littells addition could shake up the Nationals plans, as projections had Cade Cavalli, Jake Irvin, Foster Griffin, and Mikolas locked in, with Brad Lord possibly filling the fifth spot if Josiah Gray wasnt ready. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/45ba495472f016bb