The big news over the past couple days has been Dylan Crews' placement on the 15-day injured list, and Robert Hassell III's corresponding recall from Triple-A Rochester. After once being among the top prospects acquired in exchange for Juan Soto from the San Diego Padres, Hassell is now yet another outfielder under the age of 25 on the big league roster of the Washington Nationals.
The prospect promotions won't stop here, though. Who's next, and how soon could they arrive?
Daylen Lile
There was considerable debate among the fanbase about whether Lile should've taken Crews' place on the roster instead of Hassell. After a strong start to the season with Double-A Harrisburg, Lile quickly earned a promotion to Triple-A, and he's absolutely thrived.
Through 18 games for Rochester, Lile is batting .361 with a .946 OPS. He's the franchise's No. 9 overall prospect (two spots ahead of Hassell) per MLB Pipeline, and he's generally been more productive than Hassell. Aside from wanting to see him in Triple-A for a longer period of time, there isn't much left for Lile to prove.
With that in mind, depending on how much time Crews misses, we could easily see Lile reach the major leagues very soon. Even if his production trails off a bit, the Nationals still have at least one of Jacob Young and Alex Call occupying a spot in the outfield every game. And even if Crews isn't gone for long, there's a chance that Hassell could struggle and need to be replaced (especially if Davey Martinez commits to using an outfielder as the designated hitter, with Josh Bell off to a slow start).
Predicted Arrival: June 3 homestand
Brady House
We could easily make a case for House, as well. The data isn't quite as favorable as it is for House, but the third baseman isn't exactly struggling either. His strikeout rate is still around 30 percent, but he's batting nearly .280 with an OPS well above .800 - which is a significant improvement from last year.
Aside from service time manipulation, the strikeouts are likely the biggest concern the organization has about their top position player prospect. he provides more slugging upside than Lile, Hassell or Crews, and he plays a position that is essentially a black hole in Washington currently.
It's a bit tough to judge how long it will be before House receives the callup. There are valid cases for and against it, but as time passes and he continues to produce at a high level (strikeouts notwithstanding), we seem to be reaching the end of his time in Rochester.
Predicted Arrival: June 13 homestand
Cade Cavalli
Here's the real wild card. We know how far ahead of the pack Cavalli was as recently as 2022. But we also know he's coming back from Tommy John surgery, and hasn't returned to his prior form yet with enough consistency - although he has shown it in flashes.
There's no need to rush Cavalli, but there's certainly room for him. Pitchers like Jackson Rutledge and Cole Henry, who could've otherwise been standing in his way, have been moved to the bullpen. Washington has gotten mixed results from most of its starting rotation. And there's plenty of room for Cavalli to return as a member of the bullpen, as well.
First and foremost, Cavalli needs to stay healthy, and he needs to pitch well. His upside is obvious, as someone who can touch 100 MPH and strike out batters at a high rate. But let's not count our eggs before they've hatched; Cavalli needs to re-prove himself, although he's likely to do so, to some degree.
Predicted Arrival Date: Late July (post-All-Star break)
Other less notable promotions could also occur. Yohandy Morales (currently in Double-A) will also be intersting to monitor, and may reach the majors by the end of the season. The aforementioned trio seem to be the three most imminent names, though - and two of them could be on their way to washington very soon.
What do you think? Do you agree with my projected timelines for these players' promotions? Did I miss anyone you think should have been included. Let me know what you think @stephen_newman1 on X.