Nationals Have to See What This Player Can Do When He Returns in Second Half

The second half of 2026 will be important to both this player and the Washington Nationals.

Red Washington Nationals hat | Brad Mills-Imagn Images

Entering this offseason, it was known the Washington Nationals needed pitching help.

Not only did their bullpen finish with the worst ERA across Major League Baseball, but their starting rotation also finished with the second worst ERA. For a franchise looking to take the next step in their rebuilding process, having high-quality arms will be a must going forward.

But instead of adding to the unit, Paul Toboni and his front office made the decision to trade away their best pitcher in ace MacKenzie Gore, opting to send him to the Texas Rangers in exchange for five prospects where the majority of them aren't close to major league-ready.

A lot of pressure is now going to fall on those who are still with the organization. And while it won't be until potentially the second half of the season when DJ Herz is supposed to return from Tommy John surgery, it's imperative they let him pitch if he's healthy so they can see what he can do.

DJ Herz Could Be Long-Term Rotation Piece

DJ Herz of the Washington Nationals | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

Despite being up-and-down between the big league club and Triple-A Rochester in 2024 starting in the summer months after he made his MLB debut on June 4, he showed flashes of having elite strikeout stuff with 106 K's over 88 2/3 innings.

While there are concerns about his walk rate being well above the league average -- which is also something that has plagued him in the minors -- he showed an ability to get major league batters out via the punch out.

Not only was his strikeout rate in the 81st percentile at 27.7%, but his whiff rate was also in the 78th percentile at 29.3%. And to do that without overwhelming fastball velocity or "stuff" -- his Stuff+ figure was 99 -- that adds to how impressive he was at striking out big league hitters despite finishing the season with a 4.16 ERA across 19 starts.

DJ Herz, 95mph Paint. 🖌️🎨 pic.twitter.com/aCQWIN7KWy

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 20, 2024

Things might not look pretty for the 25-year-old lefty when he first returns. Following Tommy John surgery, normally the last thing to return is control, which is something he already struggled with before the injury.

Still, it's important the Nationals push him back to the mound if he's cleared to return instead of boxing him up like the previous regime might have done. Because they have to get an idea if Herz can be a long-term guy for them.

While they won't necessarily get an answer during the second half of 2026, that at least will give him reps to knock off the rust from the time he missed so he can go into the offseason and prepare for the 2027 campaign, where there could be some competition for a rotation spot.

And based on what Herz showed in 2024, it would be hard to keep him out of one if he is able to maintain that same ability to strike batters out following his surgery.