Herrera's injury latest blow to Nationals' flailing bullpen
The Washington Nationals placed right-handed reliever Kelvin Herrera on the 10-day disabled list Monday with a torn Lisfranc ligament in his left foot.
Herrera suffered the injury while making a play at first base during Sunday's blowout win over the New York Mets. It was only his second appearance since returning from a shoulder impingement.
(Video courtesy: MLB.com)
Herrera will be a free agent following the season. He was enjoying a fine campaign prior to being acquired by the Nationals from the Kansas City Royals, posting a 1.05 ERA over 27 appearances. Since the trade, he's produced a 4.34 ERA in 18 2/3 innings.
While there's no official timetable for his return, the initial outlook isn't good.
Kelvin Herrera is heading to get a second opinion on his torn Lisfranc ligament, but based on the sheer timing here and the rehab needed, it appears he’s done for the year.
— Dan Kolko (@masnKolko) August 27, 2018
His injury is the latest blow to the Nationals' bullpen, which has had to weather a variety of storms this season. Closer Sean Doolittle hasn't pitched since July 6 due to a toe injury, and the club traded away Shawn Kelley and Brandon Kintzler.
Kelley and Kintzler each faced questions about their clubhouse fit. Kelley was designated for assignment after throwing his glove on the mound in anger, and he reportedly came close to having a physical altercation with Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo.
Meanwhile, Kintzler was reportedly traded for spreading rumors about dysfunction in the team's clubhouse, which he later denied.
The Nationals' bullpen has been largely ineffective the entire 2018 season, posting a 3.91 ERA in 414 1/3 innings and a 0.7 WAR, which is better than only five other teams, according to Fangraphs. That's contributed to a disappointing 65-66 record, and now the former division favorites sit 8 1/2 games back in the NL East race.
If there's a silver lining, it's that the Nationals activated veteran reliever Ryan Madson as a corresponding roster move after Herrera went down. Madson has been out since Aug. 12 with a back injury.