Good Morning, Washington Nationals fans.
Here are your Washington Nationals Morning headlines, news, analysis, and more for Friday, May 29, 2026
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📅 NEXT AT BAT
Tonight: vs. Padres, 6:45 PM ET — How will the Nats play after their day off?
Saturday: vs. Padres, 4:05 PM ET — How will the Nats perform against Michael King?
Sunday: vs. Padres, 1:35 PM ET — Can Zack Littell pitch as he did against the Guardians?
SERIES PREVIEW NATIONALS VS PADRES
⚾ DUGOUT DISPATCH
Tonight, the Nationals begin their series against the Padres. This season, the Padres have struggled offensively, with the worst batting average in the MLB and the fourth-lowest run total. While they've struggled at the plate, the Padres remain a threat thanks to their bullpen, which has carried them to a 31-24 record so far.
📊 THE BOX SCORE
Nationals pitchers to watch out for: Foster Griffin with a 3.63 ERA, and Richard Lovelady, who's been the Nats' reliever of choice this month, pitching in four of the last six games.
Padres pitchers to watch out for: Michael King has a 2.76 ERA and averages 1.02 strikeouts per inning. Mason Miller is second in the MLB in saves.
Nationals key hitters: James Wood leads the team in OPS and slugging, and CJ Abrams is second in the MLB in RBIs.
Padres key hitters: Fernando Tatis Jr. and Xander Bogaerts are elite fielders who also lead the team in batting.
🎙️ LOCKER ROOM LORE
After winning the series against the Guardians, manager Blake Butera said, “Hopefully this isn't the end of that stretch of good baseball. Hopefully, we’re building off this and continue to get better and better every time we go out there, which is the goal.”
💬 FAN’S CHOICE
Who will be the deciding factor in who wins the series?
✅ Wood
✅ Griffin
✅ Abrams
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MLB OWNERS PROPOSE THE FIRST SALARY CAP SINCE 1994
⚾ DUGOUT DISPATCH
With the MLB's collective bargaining agreement expiring at the end of the year, the MLB is now discussing potential changes to a new CBA, including the introduction of a salary cap. The MLB has never had a salary cap, and the last time one was proposed was in 1994.
📊 THE BOX SCORE:
Deadline: The current CBA agreement expires December 1, 2026.
Changes in Payroll: The proposal would require 12 teams to increase payroll (Including the Nationals) and 8 teams to decrease payroll.
What we know: The league's CBA proposal is a seven-year term, and no specific changes have been announced yet.
🗣️ LOCKER ROOM LORE
If a salary cap is implemented, the nationals would be forced to increase their payroll, which would go toward either signing free agents or paying more to retain their players, giving them an incentive to stay with the team.
📈 MORNING STAT
The MLB is the only Major North American professional sports league without a salary cap.
💬 FAN’S CHOICE
What are your thoughts on the inclusion of a salary cap?
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COLE HENRY IS BACK
⚾ DUGOUT DISPATCH
On Thursday, the Nats activated Cole Henry. Henry has been out since April 12 with a right shoulder rotator cuff injury. After recovering, he has spent time in the minors with the Rochester Red Wings.
📊 THE BOX SCORE:
In Rochester: Henry pitched six innings and has an ERA of 1.50.
In the MLB: So far in 2026, he has posted a 6.43 ERA through seven innings pitched. Henry has an MLB career ERA of 4.53 over 59.2 innings pitched.
Past Injuries: Henry has had multiple injuries in the past, with his most severe in 2022 when he had thoracic outlet syndrome and underwent surgery that involved removing a rib and part of his neck muscle.
📈 MORNING STAT
While in Rochester, Henry's average four-seam fastball was 94.1 mph, an improvement from his previous average of 93.7
💬 FAN’S CHOICE
Do you think Henry will play better after his recovery?
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