Manager Martinez, GM Rizzo fired by last-place Washington Nationals
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WASHINGTON -- Manager Dave Martinez and general manager Mike Rizzo were fired by the Washington Nationals on Sunday in moves that were surprising for their timing, even if the club is more than halfway through its sixth consecutive losing season since winning the 2019 World Series.
The team announced the changes just hours after Washington's 6-4 loss at home completed a sweep by the Boston Red Sox. The Nationals are 37-53 and last in the NL East; the only National League club with a worse record is the Colorado Rockies.
But the amateur draft is just a week away, and Washington has the No. 1 overall pick.
Senior VP and assistant GM Mike DeBartolo is taking over for Rizzo on an interim basis. A replacement for Martinez wasn't named immediately.
Washington could have exercised options to extend the contracts of both Martinez and Rizzo beyond this season.
"While we are appreciative of their past successes," Nationals owner Mark Lerner said in a statement issued by the team, "the on-field performance has not been where we or our fans expect it to be. This is a pivotal time for our club, and we believe a fresh approach and new energy is the best course of action for our team moving forward."
Rizzo's time running the Nationals is over after more than a decade and a half. One of the Lerner family's first hires when it assumed control of the organization, Rizzo had been GM since 2009 and added the title of president of baseball operations in 2013.
Kershaw makes 11th game
NEW YORK -- Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw was picked for his 11th All-Star Game and Paul Skenes, James Wood and Elly De La Cruz boosted the 23-and-under group to five when they were picked Sunday for the July 15 showcase at Atlanta's Truist Park.
Wood at 22 is the youngest of the 65 All-Stars, while Skenes, De La Cruz and fan-elected starters Pete Crow-Armstrong and Jacob Wilson are all 23.
Cal Raleigh and Yoshinobu Yamamoto joined Wood, Wilson and Crow-Armstrong among 19 first-time All-Stars. Wood was acquired by Washington in the August 2022 trade that sent outfielder Juan Soto to San Diego.
"It'll just be cool being around some of the best players in the game," Wood said.