Following the very fun series finale that saw the Washington Nationals clinch a series victory over the Detroit Tigers, who are currently the best team in the American League, the team had a rude awakening on Friday morning. Needless to say, the Nationals looked exactly like a team that was playing an early day game after a night game, and the Boston Red Sox looked like a team that had just gotten a day off.
The final score was ugly, with the Nationals falling 11-2, being shut down by former top pitching prospect and 1st round pick Lucas Giolito, who returned to the mound where he made his major league debut with the Nationals back in 2016. He surrendered just 4 hits and 3 walks while striking out 7 batters over 7.2 innings, setting the Red Sox up for an easy victory on this day of celebration across America.
Other relevant news from the Nationals is that struggling righty Trevor Williams, who has been arguably the worst starting pitcher in baseball this season, is headed to the 15-day IL with a right elbow sprain. The news comes after the team reinstated catcher Keibert Ruiz from the 7-day concussion IL before Friday's game, and also after Williams needed a whopping 51 pitches to get through the 1st inning in game 1 of Wednesday's doubleheader.
So who will take the place of Williams in the rotation? It appears that former Top 100 prospect and a guy that many people still have high hopes for in Cade Cavalli is likely headed back to the big leagues, according to multiple sources on social media. While the team has yet to confirm the transaction, Cavalli seems like the logical next man up, and the Nationals don't have to officially announce the move until Sunday morning, when he would be in line to start.
Editor's Note: Lefty starter Shinnosuke Ogasawara received his big league call-up instead of Cavalli for Sunday's finale against the Red Sox. The source I credited, @TheNatsReport on X, was proven to be incorrect in sourcing the information that Cavalli was receiving the call. However, Cavalli could potentially be in line to receive a call-up next week instead.
Cavalli, who has had a lengthy recovery from Tommy John Surgery that he underwent back in 2023, filled with numerous setbacks, will look to finally prove to himself and the Nationals that he belongs in the big leagues, as he has made just 1 start at the highest level. That lone start included 6 strikeouts in 4.1 innings, but he showed back then that he had some work to do in order to become consistent, an issue that many young pitchers face.
He has made 10 starts for the AAA Rochester Red Wings now, with mixed results. The numbers have not looked great recently, which has inflated his overall numbers to a 5.27 ERA and 1.46 WHIP in just 41.0 innings, which isn't exactly what you want to see from a guy with his talent. His control has left a bit to be desired this season, with a 45:19 K:BB ratio, and the Nationals have been clear that he will be on an innings limit for the rest of the year.
The hope for Cavalli, who has now accumulated 50.0 innings in total, is that he can contribute enough to prove that he deserves a rotation spot for next season, as it appears unlikely that he would be able to finish out the rest of 2025 before being shut down.
What are you expecting from Cade Cavalli if he gets called up? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.