The Washington Nationals placed left-hander Mitchell Parker and left-handed reliever Richard Lovelady on the 15-day injured list Monday ahead of a three-game road series against the Boston Red Sox. Parker is dealing with elbow inflammation, and Lovelady with a left triceps strain. To fill their roster spots, the Nationals recalled left-handed pitcher Carson Palmquist and right-hander Riley Cornelio from Triple-A Rochester.
Parker, 26, signed with the Nationals as a fifth-round pick in the 2020 MLB Draft and has pitched his entire big league career in Washington. Working as a multi-inning reliever in 2026, he has made 22 appearances while compiling a 3-3 record with a 6.58 ERA, 34 strikeouts and 39 2/3 innings pitched. The elbow inflammation ended what had been a durable stretch for one of the club's most active arms out of the bullpen.
Lovelady, 30, joined Washington during the 2026 season after opening the year with the New York Mets. One of the more trusted arms in the bullpen to begin the year, he has provided left-handed flexibility across 33 appearances, owning a 2-4 record with a 3.86 ERA, 27 strikeouts, and 30 1/3 innings pitched. The left triceps strain raises additional concern, given the physical demands the injury places on a pitcher's throwing arm.
The timing made the injuries especially notable. Both pitchers appeared in Sunday's 6-4 victory over the Baltimore Orioles before medical evaluations revealed their conditions. Parker and Lovelady will remain sidelined for at least the mandatory 15-day period while the organization evaluates their recoveries and determines rehabilitation timelines.
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The injuries leave Washington with fewer experienced left-handed options entering the Boston series. Palmquist becomes the club's primary left-handed replacement, while Cornelio adds a fresh arm capable of covering multiple innings. Both are expected to absorb innings previously handled by Parker and Lovelady.
Manager Blake Butera loses flexibility in late-game situations with both left-handers unavailable, placing greater responsibility on Palmquist, Cornelio and the rest of the bullpen to manage a Red Sox lineup that ranks among the more productive offenses in the American League this season.
Washington enters the series sitting fourth in the National League East while remaining within reach of the wild card race. Miles Mikolas is expected to factor into Monday's opener at Fenway Park in a bulk relief role.
With two left-handed pitchers now sidelined during a demanding stretch of games, how Washington's remade bullpen holds up over the next several weeks could prove as consequential as anything the lineup produces.
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