The Nationals’ 26-man roster is set ahead of opening day against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Washington acquired infielder Jorbit Vivas in a trade with the New York Yankees on Sunday afternoon, but most of Washington’s roster spots were decided before the team left West Palm Beach. With Vivas, the Nationals will carry seven infielders and four outfielders.
The final spots in the bullpen were decided on Tuesday when the Nationals made three moves: optioned right-handed pitcher Orlando Ribalta to Triple-A Rochester, placed Paxton Schultz on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation and selected the contract of left-handed pitcher Cionel Pérez.
To clear space for Pérez, the Nationals placed Josiah Gray on the 60-day injured list with a right flexor strain.
Expect this roster to change drastically as the season progresses. But for now, here’s who will be lined up along the first-base line in Chicago on Thursday afternoon.

Catchers: Drew Millas and Keibert Ruiz
Ruiz has been the team’s everyday catcher since he signed an eight-year, $50 million contract in 2023. But Ruiz has underperformed. This season could be his final chance to show he deserves regular playing time. Millas should get more reps than he has in seasons prior. Catching prospect Harry Ford, who will open the season in Triple-A Rochester, could come knocking down the door soon.

Infielders: CJ Abrams, Andrés Chaparro, Luis García Jr., Brady House, Nasim Nuñez, José Tena and Jorbit Vivas
Abrams will be penciled in at shortstop; the infield configuration around him will vary based on starting pitcher matchups. Against lefties, expect Chaparro at first and García Jr. at second. García will shift to first against righties and Nuñez — the team’s best infield defender — will play second. House will likely get the majority of the reps at third base but Vivas could get some starts against righties, too. Tena is the odd infielder out.

Outfielders: Daylen Lile, Joey Wiemer, James Wood and Jacob Young
These four outfielders on the opening day roster would’ve been a surprise at the start of camp. Dylan Crews and Robert Hassell III, two former top prospects, ended last season with the team. Crews was expected to make the team. But he and Hassell were optioned to Triple-A Rochester, with the team believing they could benefit from additional development in the minors.
Wood and Lile are arguably the team’s best two hitters. Young has been one of the best defensive outfielders in all of baseball since he debuted in 2023. Wiemer provides versatility — he can face left-handed pitching and plays all three outfield positions.

Starting rotation: Cade Cavalli, Miles Mikolas, Jake Irvin, Foster Griffin and Zack Littell
Cavalli is the ace of the rotation. Griffin, Littell and Mikolas are all veterans who likely won’t be with the team in August if they perform well enough. Irvin rounds out the group, but he’ll need to pitch well given the Nationals’ depth in Rochester.

Relievers: Clayton Beeter, Andre Granillo, Cole Henry, Brad Lord, Cionel Pérez, PJ Poulin, Gus Varland and Ken Waldichuk
Henry and Beeter are team’s best high-leverage arms, as is Lord, who can fill all roles. Pérez, Poulin and Waldichuk give Washington three left-handed relievers, a pitching profile they’ve lacked over the last few seasons.
The names in this group are likely to change frequently during the season based on the opponent.






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