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Nationals right-hander Ryan Madson will be placed on the disabled list with pectoral soreness, per The Washington Post’s Chelsea Janes. Madson had been unavailable to pitch on Saturday night because of the chest soreness.
Madson, 37, has struggled in 2018, posting a 4.19 ERA and 1.40 WHIP over 21 appearances (19.1 innings). For what it’s worth, though, he’s been much better in May, making six scoreless appearances while holding hitters to a .111 average, striking out eight, and walking just one over 5.1 innings.
Madson is considered by many to be one of the most reliable veteran relievers in the game, having posted a 3.37 ERA and 1.24 WHIP over 703 major-league appearances spread across 13 seasons. Without him, the Nationals will be forced to rely more heavily on guys like Brandon Kintzler, Sammy Solis, and Trevor Gott as they bridge the gap to closer Sean Doolittle.