Nationals Rethink Reliever Prep | Washington Nationals News

The Nationals are scrambling to fix their bullpen strategy after Cole Henry’s shaky debut—struggling in his second inning, surrendering four runs—exposing a critical gap in how they develop relievers in the minors. Manager Blake Butera admits fault, acknowledging the team hadn’t consistently pushed Henry to throw multiple innings at Triple-A, a necessity for big-league success. This isn’t an isolated case: relievers like Zak Kent and Paxton Schultz have also faltered after call-ups. The front office now realizes fresh arms aren’t enough—they need pitchers primed for high-leverage, multi-inning roles. To fix it, they’re adjusting minor league training to build durability and have brought up Matt Krook, a lefty with a proven track record of handling multiple innings in Triple-A, to plug the immediate gap. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://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/fb514a80c785482f