Avilán never made it back to the majors after undergoing Tommy John surgery in April of 2021. The 34-year-old enjoyed great success as a reliever at various points of his career while making stops between the Braves, Dodgers, Nationals, Mets, Yankees, Phillies, and White Sox. He’ll walk away with a 3.43 ERA over 458 career appearances.

Avilan underwent Tommy John surgery in April, so he likely won't be an option for the Nationals until after the start of the 2022 season. Still, the 32-year-old gives the club a useful and experienced depth option once he's ready to go. 

The move clears a spot on the 40-man roster for Jon Lester's arrival. Avilan recently underwent Tommy John surgery.

That was certainly the way it looked to be headed after Avilan was diagnosed over the weekend with a ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow. The 31-year-old will hope to return at some point in 2022.