Ken

Waldichuk

This is a procedural move to clear a spot for Richard Lovelady on the 40-man roster. Waldichuk is gathering a second opinion to try and avoid undergoing Tommy John surgery, but even if he does avoid it, he’ll be out for a majority of the season.

Waldichuk hit the injured list after exiting Sunday’s appearance against the Brewers with forearm tightness. The 28-year-old southpaw presumably underwent an MRI that revealed UCL damage in his elbow. It’s possible he’ll opt for the rest and rehabilitation route, but surgery sounds like an inevitability here.

Waldichuk left Sunday’s game with an injury and appeared to be in real pain. A forearm diagnosis could sometimes be a precursor to Tommy John surgery, so the Nationals will hope for the best after some time to rest.

Waldichuk looked to be in significant pain before leaving. The 28-year-old has seen his career decimated by injuries, and unfortunately, it appears he’s picked up another one. His status for the upcoming contests should be updated shortly.

The 28-year-old southpaw was acquired from the Braves in January, but the Rays attempted to slip him through waivers this week to remove him from their 40-man roster. Waldichuk struggled in his return from Tommy John surgery in 2025, but he’s intriguing enough that the Nationals felt he was worthy of a roster spot.

Waldichuk was acquired from the Braves last month after previously being waived by the A’s and claimed by Atlanta. He struggled mightily in his return from Tommy John last summer, with his velocity down about two mph, but he still might have some rotation potential if his stuff comes back.

Waldichuk represents an intriguing addition for Tampa Bay’s pitching development apparatus to sink their teeth into this spring. The 28-year-old former top prospect’s stuff hasn’t rebounded to pre-Tommy John surgery levels but he still offers some appeal as a potential swingman, capable of stepping into the starting rotation or gobbling up multiple innings out of the bullpen. He spent a couple weeks with the Braves after being jettisoned by the Athletics last month and hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since the 2023 campaign.

Waldichuk’s velocity was down about two mph as he returned from Tommy John surgery last summer, so the A’s left him in the minors and he went on to post an 8.65 ERA in 15 starts and one relief appearance in Triple-A. He looked like a potential middle-of-the-rotation arm when he debuted in 2022, and there’s the chance he’ll be stronger in his first full year back. The Braves figure to stick him in Triple-A and see what happens.

The Athletics needed a spot on the 40-man roster after acquiring Jeff McNeil, so Waldichuk was let go. The 27-year-old missed all of 2025 while recovering from Tommy John surgery, so it’s unlikely anybody will claim him on waivers. He will then decide if he wants to stay in the Athletics’ organization or try his luck elsewhere.

The financial terms for the deal are not yet available. Waldichuk missed all of 2025 while recovering from Tommy John surgery, and assuming good health, should be an option in the back of the A’s bullpen in 2026.