San Diego Padres
Thompson made his professional debut with the Arizona League Padres,tossing 12 innings of 2.25 ERA ball. In 2017,Thompson played for the Single-A Fort Wayne TinCaps,posting a 2-4 record and 4.67 ERA in seven appearances. He returned to Fort Wayne for the 2018 season,pitching to a 6-8 record and 4.94 ERA with 97 strikeouts in 93 innings of work. In 2019,Thompson played for the High-A Lake Elsinore Storm,only appearing in seven games due to injury,and recorded an 0-5 record and 7.66 ERA. [4] Thompson did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic. [5] The Padres added him to their 40-man roster after the 2020 season. [6]
On June 20,2021,Thompson was promoted to the major leagues for the first time. [7] He made his MLB debut on June 22,pitching one-third of an inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers,and earning a hold. [8]
Washington Nationals
On July 30,2021,Thompson and Jordy Barley were traded to the Washington Nationals in exchange for Daniel Hudson. [9] He was activated the next day and made his Nationals debut on August 2. [10] In 27 relief appearances,he posted a 4.15 ERA with 21 strikeouts across 21+2⁄3 innings of work.
On April 10, 2022, Thompson was placed on the injured list due to a biceps injury. [11] He was transferred to the 60-day IL on May 10 with biceps tendinitis. [12] He was activated on July 1. [13] On September 5, he earned his first major league save by pitching the final three scoreless innings against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 6-0 Nationals win in St. Louis. In 24 games, Thompson recorded a 2.92 ERA with 15 strikeouts and one save. In 2023, Thompson made 51 relief appearances for Washington, registering a 5.50 ERA with 44 strikeouts across 54 innings of work. [14]
On February 28, 2024, it was announced that Thompson would require Tommy John surgery, ending his season prematurely. [15] He was activated from the injured list to make his return from surgery on July 5, 2025. [16]
