The Nationals have claimed RHP Justin Lawrence off outright waivers from the Minnesota Twins and have designated RHP Jhancarlos Lara for assignment.
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 08: Manager Walt Weiss #22 of the Atlanta Braves looks out from the dugout during a 3-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on May 08, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Former Atlanta Braves pitcher Jhancarlos Lara was designated for assignment by the Washington Nationals. Washington claimed Justin Lawrence off waivers and needed to open up a 40-man roster spot.
The Nationals have claimed RHP Justin Lawrence off outright waivers from the Minnesota Twins and have designated RHP Jhancarlos Lara for assignment.
Lara will be in DFA limbo for the second time this season. After getting cut from the Braves, he was claimed by another National League East team, the Nationals.
The right-hander could still have interest in the waiver wire due to his elite fastball velocity. Lara averaged 98.5 MPH in his stint with Triple-A Gwinnett last season, maxing out at 102.4.
If Lara’s velocity is operating in the same range, it would not be a shock if he gets claimed by another club.
Lara began the 2026 season as a member of the Braves organization. He got called up to the big leagues at the tail-end of 2025, although he hasn’t appeared in a game. He followed that with a stint in the Arizona Fall League to get more innings.
After failing to make the big league roster out of camp, Lara was optioned to the minors. He pitched 15 relief appearances for Double-A Columbus, with an unslightly 8.22 ERA.
After looking like a potential impact relief arm, the stats were rather unsightly. Lara walked 33.3% of hitters compared to a 24.1% strikeout rate. The worst part about it is it happened at a lower level than he finished the previous season with.
That led to the Braves cutting ties with the flamethrower on June 10. His roster spot went to James Karinchak, who had a 2.45 ERA in Triple-A Gwinnett. The right-hander has pitched 5.2 scoreless innings for Atlanta this season.
Two days after his DFA, the Nationals claimed Lara from waivers. He continued to pitch with their Double-A affiliate in Harrisburg, but lasted just one appearance. He surrendered four runs in two-thirds of an inning on June 21, leading to Washington deeming him expendable.
The Nationals will have seven days to either trade, release, or try to outright Jhancarlos Lara to the minors. Washington will likely take the latter route, which will require him to pass through waivers.
Throwing strikes has always been a problem for Jhancarlos Lara. He’s averaged a 17.6% walk rate across 279 innings in the minor leagues. His lowest single-season number was 12.2% in the lower minors in 2023.
Despite climbing up the Braves system, the walk rate never got better. It was nearly 20% in 2025, but he was able to offset that with a 33.8% strikeout rate in Triple-A.
It’s still possible another organization will try to tap into his potential. There aren’t many pitchers that average 98 MPH and can regularly hit 100 or more. But the question comes down to which team would be willing to commit a 40-man roster spot to try to unlock it.
Even with the elite velocity, a pitcher who struggles to throw strikes will have trouble finding a role in the big leagues. Especially in an Atlanta bullpen that is one of the best in the major leagues.
Braves relievers enter play on June 24 with a league-leading 2.83 ERA and third with 3.4 fWAR. Only the Padres’ (5.0) and Phillies‘ (3.5) bullpens have been more valuable in 2026.
Michael McDermott Michael McDermott covers MLB for Heavy Sports. He's previously published content for SB Nation, Sports Illustrated, and FanSided in 11 seasons. Covered the Arizona Diamondbacks as an on-site reporter for the 2022-2024 seasons and the Arizona Fall League for 2022-2025. More about Michael McDermott
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