Nationals Activate Key Outfielder from Injured List for Rangers Opener

The Washington National will be getting some help in their outfield with the return of a key player on Friday.

May 17, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Washington Nationals outfielder Jacob Young (30) looks on before a game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

As the Washington Nationals get ready to face the Texas Rangers at home, they will have a key player returning to the lineup.

With an important series coming up for the Nationals over the weekend against a beatable Rangers team, Washington will be trying to get closer to the .500 mark that has eluded them so far this season.

While the Nationals might not be a contender in the National League, they do have hopes of showing improvement, and staying around the .500 mark would signify that.

Fortunately for Washington, some help will be one the way for the start of the series with Jacob Young returning from the injured list. The Nationals announced the move before Friday's game.

Jacob Young is back from the 10-day injured list, and Daylen Lile has been optioned to Class AAA Rochester, per the team.

— Spencer Nusbaum (@spencernusbaum_) June 6, 2025

The 25-year-old outfielder has been out since the middle of May with an AC joint sprain in his shoulder.

So far this year, the results from Young haven’t been great. In 41 games, he has slashed 227/.309/.282 with just six RBI and four stolen bases.

Coming into the campaign, Young was expected to be one of the players that the franchise was hoping would continue to show signs of development after an encouraging season in 2024.

Last season, he was able to slash .256/.316/.331 with 33 stolen bases. While Young isn’t going to be a power threat in the lineup, his ability to steal bases efficiently is a major plus for the team. Furthermore, his speed has helped him become one of the best center fielders in the game defensively.

Unfortunately, it has been a slow start to the year both at the plate and on the bases. Hopefully, the time off will have helped Young reset a bit and he can come back and contribute.