Washington Nationals: Austin Adams to get second chance in big leagues

After a rough major league debut, Austin Adams will be back in the Washington Nationals bullpen tonight as rosters expand

Back on July 15, Austin Adams made his big league debut for the Washington Nationals in a 10-0 game in the bottom of the eighth inning in Cincinnati. Unfortunately, it was not the greatest of debuts. Adams threw just six strikes on 21 pitches, walked two, hit a batter, and did not record an out.

However, he is going to get a second chance this month in the big leagues. Yesterday, Dusty Baker told the media in Milwaukee that Adams along with Enny Romero will be in the bullpen tonight as the rosters expand to 40 players today.

Adams was traded to the Washington Nationals this winter in the deal that sent Danny Espinosa to the Los Angeles Angels. He was sent down two days after his debut due to the trades for Sean Doolittle and Ryan Madson. Since being sent down, he’s been a much different pitcher.

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Over his last 16 outings with the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs, the 26-year-old right-hander has given up four runs, struck out 38 batters, and walked eight in 23 innings. He has held opponents to a .183 average as the main setup man in the Chiefs bullpen.

For Adams, strikeouts have never been a question for him this year. He has 13.9 strikeouts per nine innings, which is 20th among all relievers in minor league baseball (Baseball Reference). However, his 5.6 walks per nine innings are a concern. His 91 strikeouts are the most on the Chiefs and 12 more than any starter (A.J. Cole has 79).

Strikeouts are what have gotten Adams to the big leagues, but his other advanced numbers have improved as well. According to Fangraphs, his groundball rate has gone up from 41.5% with Triple-A Salt Lake last year to 46% this year. He has a fastball that averages at 94 miles per hour to go with a slider.

While Adams probably isn’t going to make the postseason roster, he can still use this second opportunity to make a good impression for next year. A strong September could lead to a chance to compete for a major league bullpen job in spring training.

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True, Dusty Baker isn’t going to use Adams in many high leverage situations down the stretch. With that being said, hopefully Adams can have a better go around in the big leagues than on that rocky night in Cincinnati.