The Washington Nationals have added outfielder Robert Hassell III and right-handed pitcher Andry Lara to their 40-man roster, as announced by Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo on Tuesday.
Robert Hassell III: Hassell, 23, joins the 40-man roster after completing his second full season with the organization. Originally the No. 8 overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, Hassell was acquired at the 2022 Trade Deadline as part of the deal that also brought CJ Abrams, MacKenzie Gore, James Wood, and Jarlin Susana to the Nationals.
Ranked as Washington’s No. 13 prospect by MLB Pipeline, Hassell had a strong Arizona Fall League season, hitting .281 with seven doubles, one triple, four home runs, 19 RBIs, eight walks, five stolen bases, and 17 runs scored in 22 games for the AFL Champion Salt River Rafters. He ranked third in the league in extra-base hits (12) and tied for seventh in RBIs (19).
The Franklin, Tennessee native hit .241 with nine doubles, two triples, five home runs, 28 RBIs, 35 walks, 15 stolen bases, and 44 runs scored in 85 games across Single-A Wilmington, Double-A Harrisburg, and Triple-A Rochester in 2024. He reached base safely in 24 consecutive games for Harrisburg from April 9 to May 11, tied for the fourth-longest streak in the Eastern League in 2024. During 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.
Andry Lara: Lara, 21, led Washington’s system in wins (11) and WHIP (1.16), and ranked second in innings pitched (134.2) and third in strikeouts (132) in his fourth professional season in 2024. Among Nationals Minor Leaguers, he was second in ERA (3.34) and opponents’ batting average (.227) over 25 games between High-A Wilmington and Double-A Harrisburg.
Ranked as the No. 17 prospect in the organization by MLB Pipeline, Lara started 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. Following his promotion, he ranked among Eastern League pitchers in opponents’ batting average (8th, .233) and strikeouts (11th, 93).
In his four professional seasons, Lara has a 23-30 record with a 4.40 ERA in 82 games (80 starts). He holds a .239 opponents’ batting average, a 1.28 WHIP, and averages 8.35 strikeouts per nine innings. Born in Coro, Venezuela, Lara was ranked as the No. 16 prospect in the 2019 International Signing Class by Baseball America.
Following these additions, the Nationals’ 40-man roster stands at 39 players.
