LOS ANGELES -- The Nationals are making progress toward a Major League deal to sign outfielder Gerardo Parra, a source confirmed to MLB.com Wednesday morning. The club has not confirmed the deal, which was not finalized prior to Wednesday’s series finale against the Brewers. Talks were first reported by ESPN.

LOS ANGELES -- The Nationals are making progress toward a Major League deal to sign outfielder Gerardo Parra , a source confirmed to MLB.com Wednesday morning.

The club has not confirmed the deal, which was not finalized prior to Wednesday’s series finale against the Brewers. Talks were first reported by ESPN.

Parra elected free agency after clearing waivers when he was designated for assignment by the Giants on Friday. In 97 plate appearances this season, he batted 197/.278/.267 with one home run and a 52 OPS+, but he has accumulated 0.5 Wins Above Replacement because of his defense in the outfield.

When a player's contract is designated for assignment -- often abbreviated "DFA" -- that player is immediately removed from his club's 40-man roster, and 25-man roster if he was on that as well. Within seven days of the transaction (it was previously 10 days), the player must either be traded, released or placed on irrevocable outright waivers.

General manager Mike Rizzo has shown interest in Parra before, and following Tuesday’s 6-0 loss to the Brewers, Nats manager Dave Martinez lamented the number of strikeouts for his struggling offense. Parra will help make more contact. He has never had a strikeout rate higher than 20 percent, and even though he has struggled this season, he has still managed to keep his strikeout rate to a modest 18.6 percent. Instead of striking out, he is making much more weak contact this season. (21.7 percent in 2019, compared to 13.9 percent in ’18).

Injuries have decimated the Nationals' lineup, however, and have left them scrambling to find enough healthy players to fill a lineup each day -- even after Anthony Rendon returned from the injured list Tuesday. Trea Turner (right finger) is making progress, but he's about two weeks away; Juan Soto (back) hit in the cage Wednesday, and he is expected to return when eligible on Saturday; Ryan Zimmerman (right foot) and Matt Adams (left shoulder) are on the IL while Yan Gomes , Michael A. Taylor and Andrew Stevenson have been banged up in recent days.

So Parra should add another outfielder to the mix when he meets the team in Los Angeles for the start of a four-game series on Thursday. Washington will need to clear a spot on its 40-man roster to make room for Parra.