Washington Nationals designate former Toronto Blue Jays left-hander for assignment

According to an announcement from the team, the Washington Nationals have designated left-hander Richard Lovelady for assignment.

Washington originally claimed Lovelady off waivers from the New York Mets on Jan 29.

The Mets had signed him to a split major league contract in October, hoping he would clear waivers and remain in the organization as Triple-A depth in Syracuse.

However, that plan didn't materialize, as the Nationals quickly claimed the left-hander.

Now that Lovelady has been designated for assignment, Washington has five days to either trade him or place him on waivers, a process that typically lasts 48 hours.

Despite the move, Lovelady has performed well during spring camp with the Nationals. In four innings of work, he has allowed one run on four hits and three walks while striking out seven batters.

The 29-year-old struggled in limited big league action last season, giving up 11 runs in 11 2/3 innings between the Blue Jays and Mets in 2025.

However, he excelled at the Triple-A level, posting a 1.66 ERA across 38 innings with a 26.3 percent strikeout rate, an 8.6 percent walk rate and a 52.6 percent ground-ball rate.

While Lovelady hasn't established consistent success in the majors, he did deliver respectable results from 2022 through 2024, compiling a 4.25 ERA with solid strikeout, walk and ground-ball numbers over 78 1/3 innings.

Because Lovelady is out of minor league options, the Nationals were unable to simply send him to Triple-A without exposing him to waivers.

The team will now hope he clears waivers so they can keep him in the organization as upper-level bullpen depth.

Lovelady cleared waivers multiple times last season, though he was also added to a major league roster five different times between Toronto and New York.

His major league deal with the Mets last October was one of those opportunities.

Since 2022, Lovelady has moved frequently between organizations, spending time on MLB rosters with the Royals, Athletics, Cubs, Blue Jays and Mets.

Given that track record and his left-handed bullpen profile, it's possible another team seeking inexpensive relief depth could claim him or acquire him in a cash trade.

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