Evan Reifert: Everything you need to know

The Nationals returned Reifert to the Rays on Tuesday, Spencer Nusbaum of The Washington Post reports. A Rule 5 selection by the Nationals in December, Reifert flashed his swing-and-miss slider this spring in striking out nine batters over 6.1 innings. However, he also issued 12 walks and yielded 12 runs (11 earned) to earn a trip back to his previous organization. Reifert should begin the 2025 season at Triple-A Durham.

Reifert struck out the side in the third inning of Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Marlins. The 25-year-old righty needed 16 pitches (nine strikes) to carve up Miami's 9-1-2 hitters, including Xavier Edwards. Reifert is in camp as a Rule 5 pick from the Rays' organization, giving him a leg up on winning one of the final spots in the Nationals' bullpen if he shows he's ready to get big-league hitters out. Over 40.1 innings for Double-A Montgomery in 2024, Reifert posted a 2.01 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 64:16 K:BB.