Report: D-backs signing Zack Littell to MLB deal

It didn’t take Littell very long to find a new opportunity after being jettisoned by the Nationals last week. The 30-year-old figures to operate in a versatile swingman role with the Diamondbacks after forging an underwhelming 4.97 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 70/35 K/BB ratio across 112 1/3 innings for Washington earlier this year. He’s unlikely to offer any semblance of fantasy value over the final two months, but he should gobble up plenty of innings for Arizona.

This will clear the way for a trial for some of Washington’s Triple-A pitching prospects down the stretch. Littell will look to catch on elsewhere as a veteran stopgap starter option.

The Littell era in Washington concludes with a cromulent 4.97 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 70/35 K/BB ratio across 112 1/3 innings over 23 appearances, including 14 starts. The 30-year-old should be able to latch on somewhere as an innings-eater for the final two months of the season, but his odds of returning to fantasy relevance are extremely slim.

Palmquist flopped as an opener, retiring just one of the four batters he faced, and the Nationals never made a game of it after Littell entered. The loss went to Palmquist, so Littell remains 7-8 with a 4.97 ERA. He’ll face the Reds on Sunday.

Littell struck out two, walked three, and allowed four hits. It was a fine performance against one of the lighter-hitting lineups in MLB, and it helped that Toronto was without Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Littell remains an innings-eater for Washington’s pitching staff this summer, and he isn’t on the fantasy radar in any format. He’ll carry a 4.94 ERA into his next start, scheduled to come on the road against the Phillies.

Littell took over for Carson Palmquist, who allowed two earned runs over 1 1/3 innings of work. While two runs were charged to Palmquist, it was Littell who gave up the hits that allowed both runs to cross, and it was the sacrifice fly he allowed to Gabriel Moreno in the seventh inning that proved to be the difference-maker. Littell’s outing was far better than the eight earned runs he allowed last week against the A’s, and he’s now allowed one earned run in three of his last four games. He’s set to take the mound next on Wednesday at home against the Blue Jays.

Palmquist opened ahead of Miles Mikolas on Tuesday and gave up four runs in 1 2/3 innings in Colorado. The Nationals will hope the arrangement works better this time.

It’s somewhat impressive that Littell was able to get six innings in, even if they were far from effective. He gave up a five-spot in the first inning and another run in the second, and while he was able to pitch efficiently enough to continue on after — and it probably didn’t make sense to waste bullpen arms in that situation — he gave up two-run homer in the sixth to punctuate the poor effort. Littell has had a few too many of these clunkers, as seen in a 5.34 ERA on the campaign. He’s set to face the D-backs in Arizona on Friday.

He left with a one-run lead, turning it over to the Nationals bullpen after Carson Palmquist went three innings in front of him. Then what usually happens with the Nationals pen happened, depriving Littell of a win. Littell allowed a solo shot to Jasson Dominguez, but that was it. He finishes the first half with a 4.90 ERA. He has some deep-league streaming appeal going forward, especially if he keeps following.

It’s the same thing that happened on Saturday. Even with the Yankees struggling and the increased win chances, streaming Littell would be a bold move. Littell inherited three runners from Palmquist in the second inning last outing and allowed all three of them to score.