Nationals Manager Shares Surprising Analysis on Zack Littell's Latest Outing

Washington Nationals manager Blake Butera offered some interesting analysis after his starter's latest outing.

Washington Nationals manager Blake Butera | David Banks-Imagn Images

On Tuesday, struggling Washington Nationals starter Zack Littell had a chance to get things on track.

Set to face a floundering New York Mets lineup, the veteran right-hander was presented with an opportunity to rebuild some confidence by putting together a strong outing following a rough start to the year. But 3 2/3 innings after first pitch, eight runs were on the board for the Mets and Littell was charged with four of them.

It was yet another loss for Littell, as his ERA sits at 7.85 for the season through six starts. It's also safe to say the 30-year-old has been negatively affected by what has taken place, with him stating after the game he feels like he's "letting these guys down" in reference to his teammates. However, his manager offered a different take on what was another frustrating start.

Blake Butera Believes Zack Littell Threw the Ball Well

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Zack Littell | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

"The first three innings, I thought he threw the ball really well," Nationals skipper Blake Butera told reporters. "I know he got ambushed on that first pitch of the game where [Bo] Bichette takes him out. But I thought he threw the ball really well going into the fourth inning."

After that statement, Butera then went through what happened during the fourth frame where things unraveled for Washington. While Littell takes his share of the blame for loading up the bases by allowing a single and issuing two walks in a row, he also induced a ground ball that should have produced an inning-ending double play if it wasn't for the fielding error made by Jorbit Vivas at third base that resulted in two runs being scored.

From there, it was all downhill for the Nationals. Two singles, a sacrifice fly and a two-run homer later, Washington found themselves down 8-0 as Littell walked off the mound with his head down in disappointment once again.

Zack Littell Not Giving Nationals ROI on Their Investment

Washington Nationals starting pitcher Zack Littell | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

When the Nationals signed Littell to a one-year deal on March 10, it was seen as a huge win for this team. Not only did they bolster their rotation with a veteran arm who had been a solid starter each of the last two seasons, but they also did so by spending just $7 million.

But so far, Washington has not gotten a good return on their investment from that contract. Littell hasn't produced in the manner that was expected. And while the wins and losses don't necessarily matter in the grand scheme of things for the Nationals this year, being able to flip him at the trade deadline for long-term pieces would have been a huge plus for this franchise.

There's still time for Littell to turn things around, and he knows what he needs to do in order to make that happen. But after six outings where his ERA sits at 7.85, it's hard to believe that's going to occur any time soon.