The Washington Nationals released right-hander Trevor Rosenthal on Sunday and recalled right-hander Austin Voth.
Rosenthal, 29, struggled to find success after missing all of the 2018 season because of Tommy John surgery. He went 0-1 with a 22.74 ERA in 12 relief appearances with the Nationals, allowing 16 runs in 6 1/3 innings. He walked 15 and struck out five.
On Saturday against the Atlanta Braves, he entered the game in relief to start the seventh inning with an 8-4 lead. He walked the bases loaded and was pulled from the game. All three runners scored, and the Braves went on to win 13-9.
The woeful results in 2019 marked a far cry from Rosenthal’s early career dominance. He had 45 saves in 2014 and 48 saves in 2015 as a hard-throwing closer for the St. Louis Cardinals. He was selected to the All-Star team in 2015.
Voth, 26, went 1-1 with a 6.57 ERA in four games (two starts) for the Nationals in 2018.
This season, at Triple-A Fresno, he posted a 3-5 record with a 4.40 ERA in 12 starts.