Trevor Rosenthal had yet another poor outing on Saturday when he walked three consecutive batters and was unable to record an out in a loss to the Atlanta Braves, and the Washington Nationals are finally giving up on the right-hander.
On Sunday, the Nationals announced that they are releasing Rosenthal. The decision seemed somewhat abrupt, though no one is surprised.
Was it abrupt? Perhaps. Rosenthal’s jersey is still hanging up at his corner locker.
The Nats, who will absorb his $7 million salary, tried to get him right. Can’t continue hiding him and playing with a 24-man roster.
— Brittany Ghiroli (@Britt_Ghiroli) June 23, 2019
Rosenthal entered Saturday’s game with Washington leading 8-4 in the seventh, and he was charged with three runs. The outing raised his ERA to 22.74 on the season, and the Nationals simply can’t justify keeping him on their roster.
Rosenthal missed the entire 2018 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, and he has not been effective since returning. He had a solid 3.40 ERA in 50 appearances with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2017, but he hasn’t been able to get outs this year. Fans have been getting on Rosenthal since the start of the season, so it is no surprise the Nationals feel their hand has finally been forced.
