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Top Nationals News
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Nationals' Dylan Crews: On track for 2024 debut
Crews seems likely to make his big-league debut before the end of the season, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.
Moved up to Triple-A Rochester on June 17, Crews hasn't exactly dominated the highest level of the minors yet, slashing .253/.306/.407 through 20 games with three homers, five steals and a 19.4 percent strikeout rate that's actually an improvement on his 23.8 percent mark at Double-A. The second overall pick in the 2023 Draft has flashed his upside though, and the Nationals are likely to want him to get his feet wet in the majors in September ahead of a probable starting job in 2025. Should Lane Thomas be shipped out at the trade deadline, it could open up a spot in the big-league outfield for Crews sooner, but the team may also want to keep his rookie status intact for next year in the hopes he earns the Nats a bonus draft pick.
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Nationals' Brady House: Could make debut in second half
House could take over as the Nationals' starting third baseman before the end of the season, Mark Zuckerman of MASN Sports reports.
Washington is currently deploying Trey Lipscomb at the hot corner, but the 24-year-old has just a .565 OPS through his first 159 big-league plate appearances and is likely a utility player in the long run. House is viewed as the organization's third baseman of the future, and a promotion to Triple-A Rochester in early July puts him one step away from the majors. He's gone 4-for-12 with two doubles to begin his Triple-A tenure, and if he holds his own in the International League, a promotion to the Nats' big-league roster some time in the second half seems very plausible. Even in the best-case scenario, House's call-up probably wouldn't occur until late August in order to keep his rookie status intact for 2025.
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Nationals' Cade Cavalli: Rehab assignment on pause
Cavalli (elbow/illness) had been scheduled to report this week to the Nationals' spring training facility in West Palm Beach, Fla. to continue his rehab program, MLB.com repoorts.
On the mend from Tommy John surgery, Cavalli began his second rehab assignment June 21 with High-A Wilmington, but he hasn't pitched since then after coming down with the flu. Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reported July 3 that Cavalli's rehab assignment had been shut down, but the Nationals haven't provided any word that the right-hander is dealing with a setback with his elbow. Since it has been almost four weeks since Cavalli last pitched, he will need to time to get stretched back out whenever he's cleared to resume his rehab assignment, so a return from the 60-day injured list doesn't seem imminent. He turned in a 2.16 ERA, 0.72 WHIP and 13 strikeouts in 8.1 innings across his first three rehab appearances.
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Nationals' Tanner Rainey: Turning things around
Rainey has posted a 6.58 ERA, 1.77 WHIP and 22:18 K:BB through 26 innings with zero wins, saves or holds in 25 appearances.
A brutal start to the season is still tainting his ratios, but Rainey has actually been an effective relief arm for the last couple months. Over his last 12 appearances dating back to May 21, the 31-year-old right-hander has been scored upon only once, and he's compiled a 2.77 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and 13:5 K:BB through 13 innings over that stretch. Despite that improvement, Rainey is still a shell of the pitcher he was prior to undergoing Tommy John surgery in August 2022. His 93.7 mph fastball average is a far cry from the 97.0 mph he was dialing up in 2022 before his elbow gave out, and his days as a viable high-leverage bullpen option appear to be over.
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Nationals' Jordan Weems: Taking big step back in 2024
Weems has posted a 5.68 ERA, 1.55 WHIP and 32:19 K:BB through 38 innings with one win and four holds in 37 appearances.
The converted catcher was a fairly reliable bullpen option for the Nationals in 2023, but Weems has regressed nearly across the board this season, with his 18.7 percent strikeout rate and 9.2 percent whiff rate being career lows. The 31-year-old righty hasn't picked up a hold since late April, and that seems unlikely to change in the second half.
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Nationals' Robert Garcia: Taking on high-leverage role
Garcia has posted a 4.68 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 47:11 K:BB through 32.2 innings with one win and 11 holds in 41 appearances.
The 28-year-old southpaw's ratios on the season aren't impressive, but they disguise the improvements he's made of late. Garcia has been scored upon only once in his last 12 trips to the mound, delivering a 0.97 WHIP and 19:3 K:BB through 10.1 innings during that stretch. He's the only left-hander in the Nationals' bullpen at the moment, but Garcia is emerging as a reliable high-leverage option for manager Dave Martinez, which should lead to more holds in the second half.
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Nationals' Kyle Finnegan: Late addition to All-Star Game
Finnegan was named to the National League All-Star team Monday.
Finnegan wasn't initially named an All-Star, but he'll be available to make his first appearance in the Midsummer Classic after being added as a replacement on the roster for Ryan Helsley. The 32-year-old has the third-most saves in baseball (25) and has recorded a 2.45 ERA across 40.1 innings.
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Nationals' Randal Diaz: Drafted by Nats
The Nationals have selected Diaz with the 141st overall pick in the 2024 First-Year Player Draft.
Diaz hit leadoff for Indiana State as a junior in 2024, showing good tools and plate discipline but lacking a standout trait in any one area. His defensive profile is similar, and a lack of arm strength could see him shift to second base as a pro. Diaz will likely need to max out as a hitter to profile as anything more than a utility option at the highest level.
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Nationals' Jackson Kent: Popped by Nats in fourth round
The Nationals have selected Kent with the 108th overall pick in the 2024 First-Year Player Draft.
The 6-foot-3 left-hander made the move from relief work to starting duty this spring for Arizona and didn't see the quality of his arsenal take much of a hit with the transition. He sported a fastball this spring that typically sat around the low 90s, and he complemented it with a quality changeup and a low-80s slider and mid-70s curveball. Even so, Kent's lack of plus stuff keeps his long-term ceiling relatively low as he makes the jump to the pro ranks.
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Nationals' Kevin Bazzell: Heads to Nats in third round
The Nationals have selected Bazzell with the 79th overall pick in the 2024 First-Year Player Draft.
A catcher from Texas Tech, Bazzell didn't start catching until his senior year of high school. He has one of the better hit tools among catchers in the class, if not the best, but he doesn't offer much raw power. Bazzell has an above-average arm and should be able to stick at the position.
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Nationals' Lane Thomas: Stays hot on basepaths
Thomas went 1-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base in Sunday's loss to the Brewers.
The 28-year-old outfielder is sprinting into the All-Star break. While Thomas' homer drought stands at 23 games, he's reached base safely in all 14 games in July, slashing .298/.375/.351 for the month with three doubles, four RBI, six runs and six of his 23 steals on the season.
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Nationals' Luke Dickerson: Second-round selection
The Nationals have selected Dickerson with the 44th overall pick in the 2024 First-Year Player Draft.
A prep shortstop from New Jersey, Dickerson surged up draft boards late in the process because he had a delayed start to the year due to helping his high school win the state hockey tournament. An athletic, 5-foot-11, 197-pound shortstop with plus speed, Dickerson has impressed scouts with his approach at the plate and above-average power potential, but he hasn't faced great competition in the Northeast. He may be sent out as a shortstop, but a move to second base or center field is a possibility due to his average throwing arm.
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Nationals' Caleb Lomavita: Could be Nats' catcher of future
The Nationals have selected Lomavita with the 39th overall pick in the 2024 First-Year Player Draft.
Lomavita had an excellent showing with a wood bat in the Cape Cod League in back-to-back summers, hitting .316 as an underclassman in 2022 and slashing .329/.374/.494 with three home runs and a 17.3 percent strikeout rate last summer. He has always had an aggressive approach, and that was apparent this spring for Cal, as he had a 16.7 percent strikeout rate and a 4.7 percent walk rate while hitting .322 with 15 home runs in 55 games. Lomavita is a good athlete for a catcher and stole 12 bases on 16 tries as a junior. He is still working on his defense behind the plate and could handle third base or a corner-outfield spot if his defense never catches up to his offense. As things stand, he is more appealing in batting-average leagues than OBP leagues.
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Nationals' Seaver King: Goes 10th overall
The Nationals have selected King with the 10th overall pick in the 2024 First-Year Player Draft.
A jack-of-all-trades who transferred from Division II to Wake Forest for his junior season, King can play multiple positions while utilizing plus speed in the field and on the bases. King is a quick-twitch athlete with a fast bat, but his ability to put most balls in play could work against him, as he'll enter pro ball with a very aggressive approach. He uses all fields and took advantage of the cozy home confines at Wake Forest to notch a career-best 16 home runs in 60 games. Perhaps his top datapoint when factoring in context is the 1.021 OPS and 12.7 percent strikeout rate he logged in 16 games with a wood bat last summer in the Cape Cod League. He played double-digit games at third base, center field and shortstop this year, and considering he doesn't project to be plus at any one position, it might make the most sense to lean into his versatility and keep moving him around, a la Matt Vierling or Tommy Edman.
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Nationals' Juan Yepez: Stays warm Sunday
Yepez went 2-for-3 with a walk, one stolen base, one RBI and one run scored in Sunday's 9-3 loss to the Brewers.
Yepez has hit safely in all 10 of his major-league games this season, and this was his third straight multi-hit effort. He's also shown modest power with six doubles, though he's yet to hit a home run. The 26-year-old has added three RBI and six runs scored over 43 plate appearances, and his steal Sunday was the first of his major-league career. Until Joey Gallo (hamstring) returns from the IL, Yepez is likely to maintain a firm grip on a starting job at first base.
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Nationals' Jake Irvin: Stumbles again versus Brewers
Irvin (7-8) allowed seven runs (six earned) on nine hits and three walks while striking out three over four innings to take the loss Sunday versus the Brewers.
After a nine-start stretch in which he allowed more than two runs just once, Irvin has been tagged for 13 runs (12 earned) across his last two outings. The right-hander's ERA ticked up to 3.49 with a 1.11 WHIP and 99:29 K:BB through 116 innings over 20 starts this season. He's shown significant improvement in his second big-league campaign, but it'll be important to keep an eye on how he holds up during the second half.
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Nationals' Luis Garcia: Nursing minor shoulder issue
Garcia was scratched from Sunday's lineup with a sore left shoulder, but he should be fine when the second half opens Friday at home against the Reds, Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com reports.
Manager Davey Martinez said the training staff looked at Garcia and didn't find anything to be concerned about. Ildemaro Vargas got the nod at the keystone in Garcia's absence.
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Nationals' Luis Garcia: Late scratch from lineup
The Nationals scratched Garcia from the lineup for Sunday's game in Milwaukee for an unspecified reason.
Expect the Nationals to provide an explanation behind Garcia's removal from the starting nine later Sunday. Ildemaro Vargas will replace Garcia at second base and will bat seventh.
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Team Statistical Rankings
| Avg | R | HR | ERA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team |
.239 (19th) |
402 (21st) |
80 (29th) |
4.14 (19th) |
Injuries
| Player | Injury |
|---|---|
| L. Garcia 2B Luis Garcia 2B | Shoulder |
| T. Williams SP Trevor Williams SP | Elbow |
| C. Cavalli SP Cade Cavalli SP | Elbow |
| J. Gray SP Josiah Gray SP | Elbow |
| J. Gallo 1B Joey Gallo 1B | Hamstring |
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