Impact Ward, who turns 28 in January, spent all of this season at Triple-A Rochester, posting a 5.64 ERA and 107:94 K:BB over 119.2 innings. He will likely begin 2025 as rotation depth at Triple-A Norfolk.
NOVEMBER 4 • ROTOWIRE
THADDEUS WARD
Scooped up by Baltimore The Orioles claimed Ward off waivers from the Nationals on Monday, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports.
Nationals reinstate RHP Thaddeus Ward from IL The Washington Nationals reinstated right-hander Thaddeus Ward from the 15-day injured list on Thursday.
SEPTEMBER 14, 2023 • KANSASCITY.COM
Nationals reinstate RHP Thaddeus Ward from IL The Washington Nationals reinstated right-hander Thaddeus Ward from the 15-day injured list on Thursday.
SEPTEMBER 14, 2023 • STAR-TELEGRAM.COM
Activated from injured list Ward (shoulder) was activated from the 15-day injured list Thursday, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.
Impact Ward has been out since early July with right shoulder inflammation. He looks pegged for long relief for the time being but could be a candidate to get a start or two down the stretch.
SEPTEMBER 14, 2023 • ROTOWIRE
Hits five innings in rehab start Ward (shoulder) struck out three while allowing four runs (two earned) on five hits and one walk over five innings in his most recent rehab start Friday for Double-A Harrisburg.
Impact Ward, who has been on the shelf since July 3 with right shoulder inflammation, was making the sixth appearance of his rehab assignment overall and his second straight at Harrisburg. He's now covered exactly five innings in his last two outings and built up to 79 pitches (51 strikes) in Friday's start. Though all 22 of his appearances with Washington this season have come as a reliever, Ward looks on track to get a look as a starter once he returns from the 15-day injured list. The Nationals currently have an opening in the rotation Wednesday at Pittsburgh, and Ward could be a candidate to either start that game or work as a bulk reliever behind an opener.
SEPTEMBER 11, 2023 • ROTOWIRE
Could join rotation in September Ward (shoulder) will make his next rehab appearance Thursday at High-A Wilmington, and the Nationals intend to stretch him out for a possible role in the rotation in September, Mar...
Impact Taken in this year's Rule 5 draft from the Red Sox system, Ward struggled to a 7.12 ERA, 1.65 WHIP and 26:24 K:BB through his first 30.1 big-league innings, all in relief, before being sidelined in early July with shoulder inflammation. The 26-year-old right-hander is seen as a possible future rotation piece however, and with the club keeping an eye on the workloads of young starters MacKenzie Gore and Jake Irvin, there could be an opening for Ward over the final weeks. He's hoping to build up to four innings in Thursday's game after tossing five total innings across two appearances for the Nats' FCL affiliate last week.
AUGUST 24, 2023 • ROTOWIRE
Starts rehab assignment Ward (shoulder) began a rehab assignment with the Nationals' Florida Complex on Monday.
Impact Ward yielded a pair of runs over two innings of work in his first game action since going down with a shoulder injury in early July. He figures to require a few more appearances before rejoining the Nationals' bullpen.
AUGUST 15, 2023 • ROTOWIRE
Bullpen session Friday Ward (shoulder) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session Friday, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
Impact Ward is only going to throw fastballs and changeups during the workout, but it represents a significant step forward in his recovery from the right shoulder inflammation that sent him to the injured list July 3. He's currently on track to return to the Nationals' bullpen around mid-August.
JULY 27, 2023 • ROTOWIRE
Hits IL with shoulder inflammation The Nationals placed Ward on the 15-day injured list Monday with right shoulder inflammation, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Impact The rookie Rule 5 selection will head to the IL to clear a spot on the 26-man active roster for lefty Patrick Corbin (personal), who was reinstated from the bereavement list ahead of his scheduled start Tuesday versus the Reds. Considering Ward owns a 7.12 ERA and 1.65 WHIP and has yet to record a hold or save among his 22 relief appearances this season, his move to the IL should go largely unnoticed in fantasy circles.
JULY 3, 2023 • ROTOWIRE
Rookie struggles continue Ward gave up three runs on two hits and a walk in an inning of relief in Sunday's loss to the Phillies. He struck out two.
Impact The right-hander served up a three-run homer to Kyle Schwarber in the ninth inning, but the game was already well out of reach for the Nationals. Ward has been tagged for three home runs in his last eight innings, inflating his ERA to 5.23 on the season to go along with a shaky 18.6 percent walk rate. A Rule 5 pick out of the Red Sox system, the rebuilding Nats will live with his growing pains, but Ward isn't likely to see any kind of fantasy-friendly role in 2023.
JUNE 5, 2023 • ROTOWIRE
Analysis | Thaddeus Ward doesn't pitch much, but he tries to stay ready Nationals reliever Thaddeus Ward retired all six Dodgers he faced Monday night and is trying to make the most of his limited opportunities.
MAY 30, 2023 • WASHINGTONPOST.COM
Still in running for bullpen spot Ward remains in the mix to break camp as part of the Nationals' Opening Day bullpen, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Impact A Rule 5 pick, Ward would have to be offered back to the Red Sox if he doesn't make the roster, giving the Nats extra incentive to find room for him. The 26-year-old right-hander hasn't been a reliever since college and the adjustment to the bullpen this spring hasn't exactly been smooth -- seven of his eight Grapefruit League appearances have been scoreless, but his 11:6 K:BB through 8.2 innings highlights both his upside and his inconsistency. Ward's future might still lie in the rotation, but if he sticks in Washington, expect him to be used primarily as a low-leverage long reliever to begin his big-league career.
MARCH 22, 2023 • ROTOWIRE
Get to know Thad Ward, the Nats' Rule 5 pick This story was excerpted from Jessica Camerato’s Nationals Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it...
DECEMBER 9, 2022 • MLB.COM
How Thad Ward could fit in to the Nationals' bullpen “My only goal is to add value to the team. That’s it,” Ward said on Wednesday. “However I can help the team win, I will do."
DECEMBER 9, 2022 • WASHINGTONPOST.COM
Selected by Washington Ward was selected by the Nationals with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 Rule 5 draft, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Impact Ward missed the start of the 2022 campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery in June 2021, but he returned to game action in early August. He made 13 total starts in the minors last year and posted a 2.28 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in 51.1 innings. After dealing with an oblique injury to close out the 2022 season, he should be back to full health in time for spring training in 2023. Ward will be stretched out as a starter this spring but will likely spend most of 2023 as a long reliever. However, general manager Mike Rizzo said Wednesday that the team sees the right-hander as a starter in the long run, per Zuckerman.
DECEMBER 7, 2022 • ROTOWIRE
