Nationals' PJ Poulin to open Tuesday's game against Phillies

Reliever will work the first inning before handing off to a primary pitcher

Mar. 31, 2026 at 2:06am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A fragmented, multi-angled painting depicting a baseball pitcher's windup and delivery broken down into sharp, overlapping geometric shapes in earthy tones, conveying the dynamic motion of the sport through a cubist artistic lens.A cubist interpretation of a relief pitcher's motion, deconstructing the game's action into dynamic geometric forms.Washington Today

The Washington Nationals have announced that relief pitcher PJ Poulin will serve as the opener for Tuesday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies. Poulin has appeared in two games so far this season, pitching 1.2 scoreless innings with two walks and one strikeout. The Nationals have not yet named the primary pitcher who will follow Poulin, but Zack Littell is a candidate to eat up innings after not seeing any action yet in 2026.

Why it matters

The Nationals are looking to try different pitching strategies early in the season, including using an opener, in an effort to maximize their pitching staff and find the right combination of arms to be competitive in the NL East division.

The details

Poulin will work the first inning against the Phillies on Tuesday before handing the ball off to another Nationals pitcher who will serve as the primary. This is the second time this season the Nationals have used an opener, a strategy that has become more common across MLB in recent years. Littell is a candidate to be the primary pitcher after not seeing any game action so far in 2026.

  • Poulin will open Tuesday's game against the Phillies.

The players

PJ Poulin

A relief pitcher for the Washington Nationals who has appeared in two games so far this season, pitching 1.2 scoreless innings with two walks and one strikeout.

Zack Littell

A pitcher for the Washington Nationals who is a candidate to serve as the primary pitcher after Poulin's opening inning, as he has yet to see any game action in 2026.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

The takeaway

The Nationals' decision to use Poulin as an opener against the Phillies is part of the team's ongoing efforts to experiment with different pitching strategies early in the season in order to find the right combination of arms to be competitive in the NL East.