It seems like the Washington Nationals are going to get a key pitcher back at a crucial point of their season now that they have continued to stay in the playoff hunt.DJ Herz, who flashed his high upside during his debut campaign in 2024, is in the early stages of his rehab assignment. The left-hander has continued to push towards a return following Tommy John surgery that sidelined him for the entire 2025 season.What the 25-year-old said should have Nationals fans excited, though, as Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic reported that Herz stated his stuff is "almost the same, or better" compared to what it was before undergoing that procedure.DJ Herz Already Had Good StuffWashington Nationals pitcher DJ Herz | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn ImagesWashington's fanbase should be thrilled about Herz's statement because he already had solid stuff before he underwent surgery. Per FanGraphs, the lefty had a Stuff+ value of 99 across his 88 2/3 major league innings. That number would have been higher if it wasn't for his little-used knuckle curveball receiving a Stuff+ value of 89. However, his main three pitches -- four-seam fastball, slider and changeup -- had figures of 98, 98 and 103, respectively, which is a part of the reason why he's had impressive strikeout numbers during is professional career.Herz recorded 106 K's across those 88 2/3 big league frames. That came after he had 457 strikeouts across 321 minor league innings, which shows just how good he has been at putting away hitters when he has them in a two-strike count. So for him to say his stuff is just as good as it was before, and it might even be better now, is an encouraging thing to hear since there is always a concern regarding that aspect for a pitcher after they undergo Tommy John surgery.DJ Herz Will Be Huge Addition for NationalsWashington Nationals pitcher DJ Herz | Philip G. Pavely-Imagn ImagesWhether that's actually the case or not for Herz will be seen. But he's gotten off to a good start on his rehab assignment with Washington's Florida Complex affiliate, as he's produced five hitless innings across his two starts where he's struck out eight and walked none.Now, the left-hander will face a higher level of competition. Nusbaum reported Herz will be bumped up to Single-A Fredericksburg for his next outing, which is scheduled to take place on June 16. And if everything does well in that outing, then he should continue to move up the pipeline until the Nationals are ready to activate him off the injured list.Once that happens, there's no doubt he'll be a huge addition for Washington's pitching staff, regardless of if his stuff is better than it was before or not.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow