The Washington Nationals placed reliever Andrew Chafin on the 15-day injured list Saturday due to a hamstring injury, the team announced. In a corresponding move, Washington recalled right-handed pitcher Ryan Loutos from Triple-A.

Chafin, a 34-year-old left-handed veteran pitcher, signed with the Nationals in early May. He's pitched well for the most part through 16 outings, recording a 3.16 ERA across 11.1 innings of work. Washington holds a lackluster 30-39 record, though, placing the Nationals in fourth place in the National League East.

As a result, Chafin was likely going to be a popular trade candidate ahead of the deadline in July. It remains to be seen how much time he will end up missing, but Chafin could still emerge as a popular trade candidate if he avoids too long of an injury absence. The Nationals will likely sell at the deadline, so veterans like Chafin are expected to be made available for trades.

The Nationals' trade deadline approach will be interesting overall. They feature plenty of young talent and the future is bright, however, Washington was surely expecting to compete by now. Yet, their rebuild is seemingly still continuing amid overall underperformance. They could turn things around before the deadline in late July, but the Nationals have struggled to develop consistency throughout the '25 campaign.

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Andrew Chafin's injury absence will not help Washington's chances of bouncing back. He will be missed without question.

What's next for Nationals?

The Nationals will attempt to find success despite Chafin's injury absence on Saturday afternoon against the Miami Marlins. Their upcoming schedule is favorable with games against last place teams in the Marlins and Colorado Rockies. Washington needs to take advantage of the light schedule.

Saturday's Marlins-Nationals clash is scheduled for 1:05 PM EST. Meanwhile, injury updates will continue to be provided on Andrew Chafin's status as they are made available.