Major League Baseball

Washington Nationals hire Sean Doolittle as a pitching strategist

Updated Jan. 16, 2024 2:45 p.m. ET

Former Washington Nationals closer Sean Doolittle was hired by the club as a pitching strategist on Tuesday.

The Nationals said the 37-year-old Doolittle, who announced his retirement as a player in September, will "serve as a liaison between the analytics department and pitching staff, while assisting the manager and pitching coach with strategy, mental preparation and mechanics."

Doolittle, a left-handed reliever, pitched in the major leagues for more than a decade, twice earning All-Star honors. He was a member of Washington's 2019 World Series championship team.

In all, he went 26-24 with 112 saves and a 3.20 ERA for four clubs.

Elbow surgery and a knee injury limited Doolittle to just six appearances with the Nationals in 2022 and 11 in the minors in 2023.

In the announcement about Doolittle's new job with the Nationals, who finished last in the NL East each of the past four seasons, general manager Mike Rizzo praised him as "one of the most intelligent baseball minds you can find."

Reporting by The Associated Press.