Washington Nationals Reliever Mason Thompson Set to Undergo Tommy John Surgery

Right-handed pitcher Mason Thompson will miss the entire 2024 season, as the Washington Nationals reliever is scheduled to have Tommy John surgery on Friday.

Washington Nationals relief pitcher Mason Thompson is scheduled to undergo Tommy John surgery on Friday, MASN Sports' Mark Zuckerman reported Wednesday morning.

The 6-foot-6, 241-pound reliever was shut down on Feb. 14 with an elbow issue that first surfaced in the offseason. He turned 26 years old one week later.

This will mark the second time the right-hander has had Tommy John surgery, with the first time coming back when he was in high school. 

Thompson was a key member of the Nationals' bullpen in 2023, pitching 54.0 innings across 51 appearances. He went 4-4 with a 5.50 ERA, 1.556 WHIP, a 7.3 strikeouts per nine innings and a -0.4 WAR.

Mason Thompson will have Tommy John surgery on Friday. It’s his second, but the first one came way back in high school.

— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) February 28, 2024

The season before, Thompson was much more efficient, going 1-1 with a 2.92 ERA and 1.135 WHIP in 24 games. In his MLB career, Thompson is 6-8 with a 4.53 ERA, 1.539 WHIP, 7.1 strikeouts per nine innings and a 0.0 WAR.

Thompson hasn't actually favored much better in the minors, going 11-23 with a 5.00 ERA, 1.390 WHIP and 9.4 strikeouts per nine innings.

The San Diego Padres picked Thompson in the third round of the 2016 MLB Draft, then traded him to Washington right after he made his big league debut in 2021. 

The Nationals signed former All-Star reliever Matt Barnes to a minor league deal on Tuesday, in part due to concerns about Thompson's status. Dylan Floro, who signed with Washington in December, has also been dealing with shoulder tightness down at Spring Training.

Last season, the Nationals' bullpen ranked No. 27 in the league with a 5.02 ERA.

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