Nationals Sign Pitcher Who Hasn't Pitched Since 2024 Because of Wild Reason
The Washington Nationals have signed the left-hander to a minor league deal, with Young assigned to the Florida Coast League affiliate for now before presumably reporting to Triple-A Rochester when he has built up enough to pitch at that level.
Young has not appeared in a major league game since 2024, when he posted a 3.29 ERA across 14 appearances and 13.2 innings for the Mets after being claimed off waivers in July.
The #Nats are signing LHP Alex Young as a free agent on a minor league deal. He was a 2015 draft pick in the 2nd round. Pitched in 2024 for the Mets and Reds.
— Talk Nats (@TalkNats) May 14, 2026
Young signed a minor league deal with the Reds last offseason and arrived in spring training ready to compete for a bullpen spot.
His elbow had other ideas.
He underwent season-ending surgery on March 31, 2025, after which he posted on Instagram before deleting the message.
"I never thought I would be in this situation," Young wrote at the time. "Nor did I think I would ever need surgery. Turns out, I've been unknowingly pitching with a distal tear for the past nine years, along with bone fragments being built up over the years. Crazy to think about how much I've put my arm through without realizing what was really going on."
Nine years of pitching through a tear he did not know existed.
Washington Nationals add a left-hander to the mix...
— TheNatsReport 🇺🇸 ⚾ (@TheNatsReport) May 14, 2026
Washington Nationals Sign left-handed pitcher Alex Young To Minor League Deal
👉 https://t.co/IzrkmsmsVj pic.twitter.com/sAwY1yeVef
The fact that he put up a 2.36 ERA with the Giants in 2022 and a 3.29 ERA with the Mets in 2024 under those conditions says something about the pitcher he is.
He is 32 years old, out of minor league options, and now healthy enough to begin a comeback.
The Nationals have the most bullpen innings in baseball this season largely because their starting rotation has been one of the worst in the league, and any left-handed arm with Young's track record and velocity is worth a minor league deal while the team figures out if the elbow is sound.
His best years showed a pitcher capable of generating weak contact with a low-90s fastball, a sweeper, and a changeup that gives right-handed hitters trouble.
If the arm cooperates in Rochester, a call-up to Washington is not far behind.
Photo Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
