Nationals acquire – Washington brought in left-hander Carson Palmquist from the Rockies for cash considerations, then optioned him to Triple-A Rochester. The Nationals also moved right-hander Max Kranick to the 60-day injured list, pushing his return back to at least early July.
The Nationals didn’t wait for the next spring training to reshape their pitching picture.
After acquiring left-hander Carson Palmquist from the Rockies for cash considerations, the club immediately optioned Palmquist to Triple-A Rochester. In the same burst of roster motion, Washington shifted right-hander Max Kranick to the 60-day injured list.
For Palmquist. the move lands him in the system where the Nationals can see if their newest lefty-depth bet can find command again at the Triple-A level. He had been in the Rockies organization since Colorado selected him in the third round of the 2022 draft. and he consistently ranked among the Rockies’ 30 best prospects—reaching No. 8 in 2025. But his only major league appearance last season never translated into the numbers his prospect ranking suggested. Across nine appearances, including seven starts, and 34 1/3 innings, Palmquist posted an 8.91 ERA, with strikeout and walk percentages of 15.4 and 14.3. His fastball sat a little over 90 mph, and he allowed 10 home runs while producing ground balls just 31.6% of the time.
This season started even rougher in the minors. The Rockies designated Palmquist for assignment on May 21 after he stumbled at Triple-A Albuquerque. In 12 appearances, five of them starts, he threw 25 innings with a 7.20 ERA. He also walked 19 batters and struck out 24, a particularly tough mix in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. Over 138 Triple-A innings as a Rockies organization pitcher, his overall line was a 5.41 ERA with 9.7 strikeouts and 5.5 walks per nine.
Still, Palmquist’s path is not blocked. The 25-year-old has two minor league options remaining. and Washington’s calculus is straightforward: if he pitches well enough in Rochester. the Nationals could eventually call him up to help cover for what has been one of the majors’ least effective pitching staffs.
Washington’s rotation and bullpen struggles show up in the standings. The Nationals are carrying the majors’ fifth-worst ERA at 4.82. Yet the team isn’t dragging down the way that number might suggest. Thanks to an unexpectedly good offense, Washington is off to a 27-27 start.
Kranick’s update adds urgency of a different kind—less about potential and more about timing. The 28-year-old joined the Nationals on a one-year contract with a club option on May 5. after Washington had already moved quickly when his health surfaced as an issue. The Nationals placed Kranick on the 15-day IL right away because he is still recovering from the flexor tendon surgery he underwent last summer.
Now the wait gets longer. The shift to the 60-day injured list will keep Kranick from debuting with the Nationals until at least early July.
So for the Nationals. this is two moves that change two different clocks: Palmquist’s is about performance in Triple-A. while Kranick’s is about rehab progressing on a timeline beyond Washington’s control. For a team trying to balance a respectable record with pitching deficiencies. the next few starts for the newest optioned left-hander—and the first real steps of Kranick’s return—could matter more than the transactions themselves.
Nationals Carson Palmquist Rockies Max Kranick Triple-A Rochester 60-day injured list flexor tendon surgery MLB transactions