Nationals manager Dave Martinez announced Friday that Doolittle has been diagnosed with a patellar tendon strain in his right knee, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.

EDGE Analysis

That explains why Doolittle was suddenly placed on the injured list Wednesday at Triple-A Rochester, just as he was seemingly nearing the end of his recovery from July 2022 elbow surgery. The veteran reliever will be shut down for the next 7-to-10 days and there is no longer a timetable for his 2023 major-league debut.