MLB rules don’t specify that a dog can’t play baseball. The Nationals won’t be testing that, even as they called up Bruce the Bat Dog on Tuesday afternoon.

The dog days of summer arrived Saturday at Nationals Park. Bruce, a 21-month-old Golden Retriever, fetched a bat during a ceremony before the Washington Nationals’ game against the Miami Marlins ...

Bruce, the bat dog, retrieves a bat as he is recognized before a baseball game between the Washington Nationals and the Miami Marlins, Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass) ...

Bruce, the bat dog, retrieves a bat as he is recognized before a baseball game between the Washington Nationals and the Miami Marlins, Saturday, June 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass) ...