Nationals DFA Two-Time All-Star Pitcher
Mikolas is squeezed off the roster just a week after Washington released fellow veteran Zack Littell, continuing a youth movement on the pitching staff.
A Rough Debut Season
Mikolas signed with Washington as a free agent for 2026, and the fit never quite clicked. The 37-year-old finished his lone season with the Nationals at 3-9 with a 5.82 ERA across 25 appearances, including 11 starts, allowing 137 hits in 116 innings.
Nats pitcher Miles Mikolas drops down a clutch RBI bunt!
— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 6, 2026
NL baseball is BACK pic.twitter.com/L8LLYXcmil
He bounced in and out of the rotation all year after opening the season with three consecutive starts. His second outing was particularly brutal, when the Los Angeles Dodgers rocked him for 11 runs on 11 hits over just 4.1 innings on April 3.
His final start came last Thursday, when he allowed six runs on 12 hits over five innings against the Philadelphia Phillies, though he did rebound with a scoreless three-inning relief appearance against the Cubs just two days before his release.
A Career That Included a Remarkable Comeback
Mikolas leaves Washington with a career record of 75-84 and a 4.37 ERA across 266 appearances, including 224 starts, spanning stints with the San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers, and St. Louis Cardinals before joining the Nationals this year.
His path included three seasons pitching in Japan's NPB from 2015 to 2017, a detour that set up one of the more notable comeback stories in recent memory. He returned to St. Louis in 2018 and made his first All-Star team that year, then earned a second All-Star nod in 2022, developing a reputation for some of the best control in the league across his seven seasons with the Cardinals.
Who Takes His Spot
Kent, 23, ranks as Washington's No. 8 prospect per MLB Pipeline. The left-hander was a fourth-round pick in 2024 and posted a combined 9-4 record with a 3.72 ERA across 20 starts at two minor league levels this season, reaching Triple-A for the first time in 2026 after opening the year at Double-A Harrisburg.
Miles Mikolas has been DFA'd by the Nationals
— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) August 12, 2026
His 5.82 ERA in 116 innings pitched this season is the worst among any starter with 115+ innings in 2026 pic.twitter.com/SLWuMXxH5G
Washington sits at 59-62 and in fourth place in the NL East, and chose not to trade young talent for veteran help ahead of the August 3 deadline, betting instead that its future is brighter than its present.
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