Washington Nationals add two players to 40-man roster

The Washington Nationals selected the contracts of outfielder Robert Hassell III and right-handed pitcher Andry Lara on Tuesday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcements.

Hassell III, 23, joins Washington’s 40-man roster following his second full season with the organization. The No. 8 overall pick in the 2020 First-Year Player Draft, Hassell was acquired at the 2022 Trade Deadline in the deal that also brought CJ Abrams, MacKenzie Gore, James Wood and Jarlin Susana to the Nationals.

Washington’s No. 13 prospect, according to MLBPipeline.com, Hassell III is coming off a strong Arizona Fall League season in which he hit .281 with seven doubles, one triple, four homers, 19 RBI, eight walks, five stolen bases and 17 runs scored in 22 games for the AFL Champion Salt River Rafters. His 12 extra-base hits ranked third in the league, while his 19 RBI were tied for seventh.

A native of Franklin, Tennessee, Hassell III hit .241 with nine doubles, two triples, five home runs, 28 RBI, 35 walks, 15 stolen bases and 44 runs scored in 85 games between Single-A Wilmington, Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Rochester in 2024. He reached base safely in 24 straight games for Harrisburg from April 9 to May 11, tied for the fourth-longest streak in the Eastern League in 2024. Within that streak, he was named Eastern League Player of the Week on May 6 after going 12-for-24 (.500) with two home runs in six games during the week.

Lara, 21, paced Washington’s system in wins (11) and WHIP (1.16), ranked second in innings pitched (134.2 IP) and third in strikeouts (132) in his fourth professional season in 2024. He ranked second among qualified Nationals Minor Leaguers in ERA (3.34) and opponents’ batting average (.227) in 25 games between High-A Wilmington and Double-A Harrisburg.

The No. 17 prospect in the organization, according to MLBPipeline.com, Lara opened the season with Wilmington, posting a 2.35 ERA (8 ER/30.2 IP) in six starts before being promoted to Harrisburg on May 14. From that point on, he ranked among Eastern League pitchers in opponents’ batting average (8^th, .233) and strikeouts (11^th, 93).

In four professional seasons, Lara is 23-30 with a 4.40 ERA in 82 games (80 starts). He’s posted a .239 opponents’ batting average, a 1.28 WHIP and 8.35 strikeouts per 9.0 innings along the way. A native of Coro, Venezuela, Lara was the No. 16 prospect in the 2019 International Signing Class, according to Baseball America.