Kintzler (forearm) threw a bullpen session prior to Wednesday's game, Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post reports.

EDGE Analysis

This marked his first session off a mound since landing on the DL with a right forearm flexor strain June 10. Look for Kintzler to return to the Nationals' bullpen this weekend as long as he doesn't feel any irregularities from his forearm.

Kintzler (forearm) has been throwing on flat ground, Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post reports.

EDGE Analysis

Kintzler has been out since June 10 with a right forearm flexor strain. He was initally reported to be out for about two weeks and appears to be making progress towards his return on schedule.

Kintzler (forearm) will attempt to resume throwing Monday or Tuesday, Dan Kolko of MASN Sports reports.

EDGE Analysis

Kintzler landed on the disabled list last Sunday with right forearm tightness, and him planning to throw after about a week is a good sign to the severity of the issue. The Nationals initially expected the 33-year-old to miss about two weeks, and if all goes well in his throwing session, he could be due for a return in short order.

Kintzler was placed on the 10-day disabled list Sunday with a right forearm flexor strain, Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post reports.

EDGE Analysis

Kintzler experienced some tightness in his right forearm during his Saturday relief appearance against the Giants. He underwent additional testing after the contest and was officially diagnosed with a flexor strain that will require some time off to heal. A timeline for his return has not been established, but he will be shut down for the time being.

Kintzler left Saturday's game against the Giants with right forearm tightness, Dan Kolko of MASN Sports reports.

EDGE Analysis

Kintzler threw only six pitches -- recording one out and giving up one hit -- prior to exiting the field with the team's athletic trainer. The severity of the injury is unclear at this point, and the 33-year-old is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Sunday.

Kintzler worked around a hit in a scoreless inning of work to earn his second save of the season Sunday against the Marlins.

EDGE Analysis

Sean Doolittle had pitched each of the previous two days, so it was Kintzler who was called upon to protect a three-run lead. He allowed a hit with one out but was able to shut things down before any sort of rally materialized. Doolittle has been excellent this season and should continue to see the vast majority of save opportunities, limiting Kintzler's fantasy value along with his 4.01 ERA and 1.46 WHIP.

Kintzler (0-2) gave up a run on two hits and a walk in one inning of work to take the loss in Sunday's extra-inning defeat at the hands of the Mets.

EDGE Analysis

The veteran right-hander was expected to be the solid seventh-inning bridge to closer Sean Doolittle for the Nats this season, but Kintzler has instead been scored upon in three straight appearances, saddling him with a 15.75 ERA and 3:4 K:BB through four innings. The sample size is small and there's been no indication he's trying to pitch through an injury, but even in formats where holds have value, the 33-year-old shouldn't be anywhere near an active roster until he turns things around.

Kintzler coughed up five runs (three earned) on four hits and a walk in one inning of relief during Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.

EDGE Analysis

The reliever hasn't had a pristine spring, but Kintzler's 6:3 K:BB in six innings indicates there's no real cause for alarm. He should slot into Sean Doolittle's setup crew this season, primarily working in the seventh inning, and Kintzler could be a valuable source of holds in that role.

First-year Nationals manager Davey Martinez said earlier in the offseason that he intends to deploy Kintzler as the team's primary seventh-inning man in 2018, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

Martinez plans to follow the late-inning model that former Washington manager Dusty Baker used to great success in the second half of the 2017 campaign, with Kintzler, Ryan Madson and closer Sean Doolittle set to work in succession when the Nationals are attempting to preserve narrow leads. Upon losing out on saves when he was dealt from the Twins to the Nationals last July, Kintzler's fantasy utility all but evaporated. He supplied a 3.46 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 26 innings with Washington over the final two months of the season, numbers that didn't make him a useful commodity outside of NL-only leagues that count holds as a category.

Kintzler agreed to a two-year, $10 million contract with Washington, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

EDGE Analysis

The contract also contains an unspecified club option that could make the contract worth $16 million, according to the report. Kintzler will return to the Nationals in a setup role working ahead of Ryan Madson and Sean Doolittle as he did last season. Kintzler had 28 saves with the Twins before he was traded to the Nationals at the end of July. He had just one save in Washington and his return to the Nationals likely limits his fantasy value since he'll have a similar role.