The Washington Nationals' bullpen has been atrocious to begin the season. Using the word "atrocious" is phrasing it kindly. The bullpen has lost the Nats a few games and has the worst ERA in the Majors at over 7.00. Relievers Colin Poche and Lucas Sims have especially struggled, but one arm has emerged from the minor leagues. That's Cole Henry, the former starting pitching prospect on track to make his Major League debut in 2022 before a shoulder injury. The player on the Nationals who deserves more playing time is Cole Henry.
Henry didn't just suffer a shoulder injury; he was diagnosed with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, the same condition that ended the careers of former Nats' Stephen Strasburg and Will Harris. Through nine starts in 2022, Henry recorded a 1.71 ERA and had made two starts at AAA, according to MLB.com. He was awaiting the call to the Majors when the shoulder injury occurred. Henry returned in the second half of the '23 season and was inconsistent as a starter. Cole was moved to the bullpen for his final four appearances at the AA level in '23 to allow his arm to recover. Sometimes change is necessary, and in Henry's case, a move to the pen has been for good.
To start the 2025 season, Washington assigned Henry to AAA Rochester. Henry allowed zero earned runs on just one hit in two appearances with four strikeouts and three walks. When the Nats placed reliever Orlando Ribalta on the injured list, Henry seemed the best option to coach Davey Martinez and General Manager Mike Rizzo. That decision has paid off so far. In his first four appearances as a National, Henry has eight strikeouts in four and two-thirds innings pitched on just two hits allowed. In the Nationals' 2-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday night, Henry was tasked with the final two innings, a high-leverage situation for the rookie. Cole pitched a relatively clean two innings with four strikeouts and registered a hit batter to Orioles' shortstop Gunnar Henderson. Was that a test for Henry from Martinez? We could soon be seeing the 25-year-old rookie in more high-leverage situations.
It cannot be overstated how well Henry has recovered from Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. As previously mentioned, it was a sign of the end of Stephen Strasburg and Will Harris' careers. Although Henry is much younger, it's a testament to his work ethic and perseverance. This success story also highlights the Nationals' player development. Henry was drafted in the second round of the 2020 MLB Draft from LSU and has stopped at almost every Nats' minor league affiliate. The Nats now have a few in-house pitchers: Cole Henry, Jake Irvin, Mitchell Parker, Brad Lord, and Jose A. Ferrer. If the Nats can continue to develop their pitching in the minor leagues and with their young arms in the Majors, it will allow the front office to spend more on hitters.
It's not often you see a rookie pitching the eighth and ninth innings of a one-run ballgame, but Henry's been pitching lights out. He'll likely have a rough outing here and there, as most rookies do, but at this point, Cole Henry is the focus and deserves it; he's pitching lights out as a rookie. It's very likely he'll have a rough outing here and there as most rookies do, but at this point in time he's earned more playing time.
What do you think about Nats' rookie Cole Henry so far?