Matt Waldron to debut for Nationals against visiting Rockies

Newly acquired right-hander Matt Waldron will make his Nationals debut when Washington hosts the Colorado Rockies in the third contest of a four-game series on Wednesday night.

Colorado took the second game of the set 3-1 on Tuesday night to end a season-worst seven-game losing streak.

Washington has lost nine of its past 11 games, and its offensive woes returned one night after the team scored 13 runs in an easy victory.

Waldron, claimed off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays this past weekend, spent most of this season with the San Diego Padres before being designated for assignment in late July and claimed by the Blue Jays.

Waldron, 29, had spent parts of four seasons with the Padres. He is 1-2 with a 7.54 ERA in 14 games this season, three of them starts. For his career, he is 9-17 with a 5.29 ERA in 50 games (36 starts).

"I feel like my role has been a little different this year," said Waldron, whose arsenal includes a knuckleball. "I've started games, I've been an opener, and then I've been throwing in the eighth or ninth innings. So any opportunity right now sounds good."

Right-hander Tanner Gordon (0-4, 5.75 ERA) will start on Wednesday for the Rockies and will make his 19th appearance and seventh start of the season. Last time out he started against the Cleveland Guardians on Friday and took the loss, allowing five runs on nine hits in 5 1/3 innings of a 9-1 defeat.

"I thought TG was good, aside from a couple of uncharacteristic walks to (Steven) Kwan at the top of the order," Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said. "He was efficient through the first couple of innings."

Gordon allowed five runs over four innings in his only prior appearance vs. Washington, a loss in 2024.

Catcher Hunter Goodman returned from the injured list Tuesday and hit his 35th homer of the season to give the Rockies an early 1-0 lead.

"I thought he impacted both sides of the ball today," Schaeffer said. "Obviously the homer. It's good to have him back in the middle of our lineup."

After Mason Adams pitched four-plus innings in his major league debut, the Colorado bullpen locked down the win with five scoreless innings.

Daylen Lile homered in his second straight game and added a single for Washington. He has hit safely in four of his last five games, batting .429 (9-for-21) with two doubles, two homers, five runs and seven RBIs.

Washington finished with five hits and four walks in the loss. The Nationals are 1-55 when trailing after seven innings.

"I think at the end of the day, our mindset is understanding where we're at in the game, and understanding how many we might be trailing by," manager Blake Butera said. "I understand everyone wants to be the hero. But at the end of the day, just getting on base and moving it to the next guy is huge there."

Waldron's activation was coupled with veteran right-hander Trevor Williams, 34, being designated for assignment. Signed as a free agent in December 2022, Williams spent parts of four seasons with the Nationals and went 15-21 with a 4.81 ERA.

--Field Level Media