Nationals Reveal Extent of Star Prospect Jarlin Susana’s Latest Injury
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The extent of the injury to Washington Nationals pitching prospect Jarlin Susana’s second injury of the 2025 season is now understood.
MASN’s Mark Zuckerman was among the Nationals beat writers to report that Susana left Saturday’s start against Altoona with right triceps soreness. Given how abruptly he left the contest, that could be good news for the 21-year-old right-hander, who is Washington’s No. 3 overall prospect per MLB Pipeline.
This is the second time that Susana has dealt with an injury this season. The first, which was in May, was a grade one right elbow strain and he was shut down for two months. There was an initial fear that he might need extensive elbow surgery, but he was able to heal the injury with rest. His fellow top prospect, Travis Sykora, wasn’t so lucky. He will be out for at least a year after he suffered an elbow injury that led to Tommy John surgery.
Susana’s Latest Injury and Season
Susana started Double-A Harrisburg’s game on Saturday against Altoona, a game that was broadcast for free by MiLB.tv. Susana, who was having an exceptional August, was the draw for the game. But he didn’t last long.
He had an erratic outing, as he allowed three earned runs, three walks and struck out three in just 1.2 innings before he left the game after throwing 33 pitches. But the worst part was how he left. A replay of the game saw Susana walked off the mound trying to make a fist with his right arm. The injury was also recorded in the game’s play by play but didn’t indicate what was injured.
He entered Saturday's game on a great run. In five starts in August he was 1-0 with a 1.52 ERA, with 44 strikeouts and nine walks in 23.2 innings. He had given up just 10 hits and four earned runs and batters were hitting just .128 against him.
He is now 1-4 with a 3.51 ERA in 14 games, with 95 strikeouts and 34 walks in 56.1 innings. Batters were hitting just .199 against him, which is close to his career low of .179 in 2022. It’s possible that the Nationals could choose to shut him down for the rest of the season. Harrisburg’s season concludes on Sept. 14.
Jarlin Susana’s Career
Susana is the last piece of the Juan Soto trade in 2022 that has not yet reached the Majors. At the time of the trade, he was one of the youngest players in the deal and Nats leadership knew he needed the most time to ramp up.
Susana had a breakthrough season in 2024. He pitched for Fredericksburg and High-A Wilmington and went 4-10 with a 4.34 ERA in 24 starts. His record didn’t jump off the page, but his stuff did. He showed off a high-level fastball, which was clocked as high as 103 mph. That allowed him to put up dominant numbers — 157 strikeouts against 48 walks in 103.2 innings.
How long it takes Susana to reach the Majors will be dependent on his progress and his health. At this rate a call-up in late 2026 or 2027 is possible.
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Matthew Postins is an award-winning sports journalist who covers Major League Baseball for OnSI. He also covers the Big 12 Conference for Heartland College Sports.
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