Sean Doolittle
RP FA
Fri 9/22/23 11:25 AM

Doolittle announced his retirement from baseball Friday.
EDGE Analysis
Doolittle didn't pitch much the last two seasons due to elbow surgery and more recently a knee injury. The soon-to-be 37-year-old is closing the book on what has been a fine career, though, as he finishes with a 3.20 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 522:103 K:BB over 450.2 relief innings across parts of 11 major-league seasons. Doolittle recorded 112 saves, made two All-Star teams and won a World Series with the Nationals in 2019.

Sean Doolittle
RP FA
Fri 6/30/23 4:08 PM

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.

Sean Doolittle
RP FA
Wed 6/28/23 3:03 PM

Doolittle (elbow) was placed on the 7-day injured list Wednesday at Triple-A Rochester, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
Doolittle looked to be nearing his season debut with the Nationals, but he seems to have suffered a setback in his recovery from July 2022 surgery to repair a partial tear of the UCL in his left elbow. Rochester has yet to provide an exact diagnosis of what led to this latest IL stint.

Sean Doolittle
RP FA
Thu 6/15/23 10:59 AM

Doolittle (elbow) has been transferred from Double-A Harrisburg to Triple-A Rochester, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.
EDGE Analysis
Doolittle holds a 3.86 ERA and 10:2 K:BB over seven innings across seven appearances so far in the minors as he works his way back from an internal brace procedure on his pitching elbow. The veteran reliever shouldn't need too many outings with Rochester before joining the Nationals' bullpen.

Sean Doolittle
RP FA
Tue 6/6/23 12:32 PM

Doolittle (elbow) was activated Tuesday off the minor-league injured list, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
It's mostly a procedural move as Doolittle continues to make rehab appearances with different affiliates in the Nationals' farm system. He is joining Double-A Harrisburg on Tuesday after allowing one run over 2.2 innings (three appearances) between Low-A Fredericksburg and High-A Wilmington. The veteran left-hander is 11 months removed from UCL (elbow) surgery and could get the call to Washington after just a few more outings on the farm.

Sean Doolittle
RP FA
Fri 6/2/23 4:25 PM

Doolittle (elbow) is scheduled to pitch again Friday at Low-A Fredericksburg, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
This will mark the first string of back-to-back appearances for Doolittle, who worked a 1-2-3 inning Thursday night at Fredericksburg. The veteran southpaw could be a consideration for the Nationals' bullpen as soon as early next week as he nears the end of his recovery from July 2022 surgery to repair a partial UCL tear in his left elbow.

Sean Doolittle
RP FA
Tue 5/30/23 1:45 PM

Doolittle (elbow) had his rehab assignment transferred Tuesday from High-A Wilmington to Low-A Fredericksburg, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
This is not a demotion, as Zuckerman notes, but merely a case of Doolittle moving around between the Nationals' lower-level minor-league affiliates and pitching for whichever team has a string of home games. He should eventually rise to Triple-A Rochester to complete his rehab stint. The veteran lefty reliever required surgery last July to repair a partial tear of the UCL in his left elbow.

Sean Doolittle
RP FA
Sun 5/28/23 5:02 PM

Doolittle (elbow) began a rehab assignment at High-A Wilmington on Saturday and struck out two while allowing one hit in a scoreless inning of relief.
EDGE Analysis
The rehab appearance was Doolittle's first in a competitive game since April 2022, as the veteran southpaw had been shut down with an elbow injury before ultimately undergoing surgery last July. According to Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com, Doolittle's fastball was clocked at around 92 miles per hour, just a tick below his average from the early part of the 2022 season (93.4 mph). He's scheduled to make his next rehab appearance Tuesday and will likely make several appearances in the minors before the Nationals entertain a potential promotion. Doolittle re-signed with Washington on a minor-league deal in the offseason, so he currently resides on Triple-A Rochester's 7-day injured list and doesn't count toward the Nationals' 40-man roster.

Sean Doolittle
RP FA
Tue 5/23/23 5:29 PM

Doolittle (elbow) has begun pitching on back-to-back days at the Nationals' spring training complex in Florida, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
Doolittle has been sitting in the 88-92 mph range with his fastball, per Zuckerman, which is actually a marked improvement over where he was a month ago when he first started throwing off a mound. The veteran southpaw could soon be cleared for a minor-league rehab assignment, though there remains no timetable for his return to the Nationals' bullpen. He required surgery last July to repair a partial tear of the UCL in his left elbow.

Sean Doolittle
RP FA
Tue 4/25/23 6:34 PM

Doolittle (elbow) threw live batting practice Tuesday at the Nationals' spring training complex, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
Doolittle got up to around 20 pitches and Nationals manager Dave Martinez relayed that the veteran reliever reported feeling "really good." He appears on track to begin a minor-league rehab assignment before the end of April and could then possibly join the Nats sometime in early-to-mid May. Granted, the timeline has been pushed back quite frequently. Doolittle is recovering from surgery last July to repair a partial tear of the UCL in his left elbow.