Latest Nationals News Roundup
On a day where the Nationals didn't even play their scheduled game, a number of noteworthy items took place within the organization, including a DFA to a journeyman minor leaguer, a waiver claim from a division rival, and an important injury update for a veteran arm.
Game 2 of Nats @ Pirates series postponed, teams will play DH Saturday
The first headline from Friday came as a result of inclement weather in the Pittsburgh area. To make it up, the Nats will now play a doubleheader against the Pirates on Saturday, with Game 1 beginning at 1:35 PM EST and Game 2 set for a 6:40 PM EST start. The Nats will send their pair of rookie lefties to oppose the Pirates, with DJ Herz on the bump for the early game, and Mitchell Parker taking the mound for the nightcap. Who doesn't love a good old-fashioned Saturday doubleheader?
Travis Blankenhorn DFA'd to make room for a new face
In a somewhat random yet unsurprising move on Friday, Travis Blankenhorn was designated for assignment. The 28-year-old outfielder is likely going to be stuck with the dreaded 4A player designation, as his slash line at AAA Rochester this season of .238/.322/.499 with a .821 OPS is more than solid, with 26 homers and 72 RBIs to go along with it. However, upon being brought up to the majors after the departure of Lane Thomas, Blankenhorn struggled to the tune of 4 hits in just 31 at-bats with 1 extra-base hit, 1 walk, and 9 strikeouts for a .129/.156/.161 line with a .317 OPS. While it was not a large sample size on paper, the veteran outfielder looked overmatched at the plate, and with the new faces on the big league club in top prospects James Wood and Dylan Crews, playing time was going to be scarce for Blankenhorn in the outfield. The return of another lefty bat (who strikes out a lot) in Joey Gallo made Blankenhorn even further expendable due to the defensive value Gallo brings at multiple positions. I hope he is able to latch on somewhere and perhaps even get one last crack at the show.
As for the reason he needed to be moved off the 40-man roster, the Nationals claimed 30-year-old righty reliever Michael Rucker off waivers from the Philadelphia Phillies. In 96 career games, all for the Chicago Cubs, Rucker has a 4.96 ERA with a 1.39 WHIP and 120 strikeouts in 123.1 innings. At most Rucker seems like a body to potentially help the Nats make it to the finish line this season and help the inconsistent Washington bullpen eat some innings if needed. After being claimed, the club announced he would report to AAA Rochester.
Overall, this transaction seems like it came down to two guys who don't have a long-term future with the organization, however adding an extra veteran arm as opposed to holding a 40-man roster spot for a minor league journeyman outfielder seems like a smart move that could be beneficial should the club wind up in a pinch.
Trevor Williams nearing a return?
Mark Zuckerman reported on Thursday that veteran righty Trevor Williams, out since June 4th with a right flexor muscle strain, threw 59 pitches to live hitters in his latest step in meeting his goal of returning to a big league mound before the end of the season. It appears as if the organization could be preparing to send him on a brief rehab assignment down in the minor leagues before allowing him to return to the rotation.
Personally, I think the return of Williams to the rotation, even in a limited capacity, could certainly pay dividends for the Nationals' young arms. With the abundance of young arms in the team's rotation and the fact that guys like MacKenzie Gore and more recently Jake Irvin have showed signs of fatigue as the season drags on, I would not mind seeing a potential 6-man rotation to finish out the regular season. It would allow an extra day of rest for all the young guys, and would allow Williams a chance to build up his value a bit more before entering free agency again this winter. While I don't expect him to be back with the club in 2025, the opportunity to get 75-80 pitches out of him every 6 days while aiding the recovery process of the rest of the rotation seems like it could be a beneficial move for the club should it all work out from a timing standpoint.
What do you think of the Nats' addition of Michael Rucker? Do you think the Nats should go to a 6-man rotation if Trevor Williams returns? As always, please let me know your thoughts on X, @DCBerk.
All stats in this article were provided by MLB.com.