BOSTON — Nationals left-hander Mitchell Parker suffered a Grade 3 UCL sprain and will likely require season-ending Tommy John surgery, manager Blake Butera said before Tuesday’s game against the Red Sox.
In Sunday’s win over the Orioles, Parker pitched a 1-2-3 sixth inning and went back out for the seventh. He recorded back-to-back strikeouts before allowing a single to Colton Cowser and a two-run homer to Jackson Holliday.
Butera left Parker in the game to face Taylor Ward and potentially end the inning. But Parker’s velocity dipped from 95.1 mph at the beginning of the at-bat to 89.1 mph at the end of the at-bat. He exited the game with a trainer after issuing a walk.
“I’ve never felt anything [like that] on the mound, so I felt some stuff, and it was what it was,” Parker said. “Sucks, but we’re fine.”
Parker was in the middle of a trying season, posting a 6.58 ERA over 22 appearances. The left-hander allowed the game-winning grand slam in the team’s June 10 collapse against the Giants.
The former fifth-round pick in the 2020 MLB draft began his career on as high a note as a pitcher can. He debuted in Los Angeles against the Dodgers in 2024 and threw five innings of two-run ball in a win. He became the first Nationals rookie starting pitcher to record a win in his major-league debut since franchise legend Stephen Strasburg. He posted a 4.29 ERA over 29 starts that season.
He struggled last season, recording a 5.85 ERA over 30 starts and was eventually moved into a bullpen role to finish the season. In 2026, Parker has pitched in high-leverage spots and a middle-inning role for the club.
He’s struggled for the majority of this season, but Butera said that Parker “looked like he was turning the corner” in his last outing with the uptick in velocity.
“We’re going to be there every step of the way,” Butera said. “It’s a long process, so wanna make sure he knows he has the support of everybody here throughout this long journey. Next thing is, if you want to give him some confidence and positivity coming through this … you give him the long list of pitchers that are very successful in the big leagues right now that have had this surgery at least once.”
Sitting in the visiting clubhouse on an overcast day at Fenway Park, Parker tried to remain upbeat.
“Anything negative is gonna make it a long, long recovery,” he said of his mentality.
Parker has talked with his teammates and agent as he determines the next steps for him. It’s likely that he will require Tommy John surgery, but Parker hasn’t made a decision yet.
Washington’s already-flawed bullpen — which entered Tuesday with the fourth-highest bullpen ERA in baseball at 5.01 — is now reeling because left-hander Richard Lovelady was also placed on the 15-day injured list with a left triceps strain.
The club hopes it’s a quick stint on the IL for Lovelady but is monitoring him closely because he had also been dealing with a shoulder injury. Down two left-handers, Butera said that the team needs lefties PJ Poulin and Carson Palmquist to step up for the club.
With the Aug. 3 trade deadline over a month away — and president of baseball operations Paul Toboni admitting that relievers aren’t usually made available until closer to the deadline — this is the group that will have to record outs and keep the team’s wild-card hopes alive.
Parker wasn’t having a good season, but his injury has a trickle-down effect and tests the organization’s depth. That it came on the day where Parker felt he was throwing his best stuff is cruel irony.
“It’s not the first [elbow injury] that’s ever happened, [and] it’s sadly not gonna be the last one that ever happens,” Parker said. “Plenty of guys come back. It’s gonna be plenty of time to work on a lot of things and sit back and learn a little bit, and improve on everything we can.”
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