Nationals designate former NL wins leader Miles Mikolas for assignment

The Washington Nationals have designated veteran right-handed pitcher Miles Mikolas for assignment, opening a roster spot for 23-year-old left-handed prospect Jackson Kent. Mikolas, 37, had a challenging season, posting a 5.82 ERA in 25 appearances, often serving as an "opener" or coming out of the bullpen.

Mikolas pitched three innings in relief during Tuesday's game against the Cubs, allowing one run. His designation comes just a day after that outing. This season, he compiled a 3-9 record with a 5.82 ERA over 116 innings, striking out 58 batters while allowing a .293 batting average and a 1.38 WHIP.

During his 10-year MLB career, Mikolas has appeared in 266 games, starting 224, and holds a career record of 75-84 with a 4.37 ERA. He was a two-time All-Star and notably won 18 games in 2018, tying for the National League lead. Mikolas also spent three seasons in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball with the Yomiuri Giants from 2015 to 2017.

Nationals manager Blake Butera expressed his respect for Mikolas, calling him a "great person and a great teammate." Butera shared that a conversation with Mikolas after the decision was difficult but memorable, noting that the pitcher expressed how much he enjoyed his time with the team and rediscovered his love for baseball during his tenure.

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Listen, it’s never easy. Miles is a great person and a great teammate. ... it might be one of the favorite conversations I’ll have and will remember for a long time. He mentioned that he didn’t rediscover how fun baseball could be until he got here and was with this group.