Tuesday brought a little bit of everything for the Nationals’ affiliates, from roster movement in Rochester to a needed breakthrough in the Dominican Summer League.
The biggest development came out of Rochester, where Jackson Kent will reportedly get the call to D.C. to replace Zack Littell in the big club’s rotation. The move is described as a financial gambit that saved some money, though not as much as if Kent had been claimed on waivers.
With that in mind, Rochester should keep leaning on the same spring-training style rotation mix it has used all year. The Red Wings have already used 19 different pitchers to start, open, or work the first inning.
Charlotte is in town this week for six games, including a matinee Thursday.
Rochester enters the series at 22-17, fourth in the International League East and three games back, with a 67-45 mark overall.
Harrisburg is heading into another long stretch of games after a weather watch. The Senators are set for a seven-game series for the second straight week, assuming today’s thunderstorms and rain do not damage the field.
That schedule includes making up the July 4 rainout against Richmond with a doubleheader tomorrow. As of virtual press time, Kendeglys Virguez is lined up to make his first appearance in the Harrisburg rotation, which has already featured deadline additions Josh Hartle and Jack Cebert taking turns.
The Senators are 20-18, tied for third in the Eastern League Southwest and 5½ games back, with a 54-53 record overall. Virguez is scheduled to face Farone, who is 5-8 with a 5.78 ERA.
Wilmington also has a new look in its rotation. Riley Maddox has returned, and the Blue Rocks are back on the road for another run up 95, this time to face the Renegades in games 20 through 24 of the season, out of 30. Wilmington dropped four of six to Brooklyn and slipped a game and a half off the second-half pace.
The Blue Rocks are 23-18, third in the South Atlantic League North and 1½ games back, with a 54-52 record overall. Fischer is set to start today against Herrera.
Fredericksburg used a softer opponent to get itself over the line, taking five of six from the Carolina League’s 97-lb weakling and getting above .500. Even so, the FredNats were outscored 46-45 in the series. Coy James was recognized as the Carolina League’s Player of the Week after going 9-for-23 with a .391/.500/.913 line, including a double, a triple, three home runs, five walks, three stolen bases, and eight RBI.
Fredericksburg is 21-20, third in the Carolina League North and one game back, with a 67-40 record overall. The club is heading to Fayetteville for its final road trip outside the DMV, with six night games on the schedule. Harmon is set to start today against Forcucci.
The DSL Nationals finally snapped their August drought with a 4-3 win over DSL Arizona Black. Jesus Carrasco, 20, worked into the fifth and allowed two runs, one earned, on five hits and two walks while striking out five. Jhondel Salas, 18, picked up his first win of ’26 after finishing the game with 4⅓ innings of relief, allowing one run on two hits and two walks while also hitting a batter and throwing a wild pitch.
Rayniel Lache, 17, led the offense with three hits, including a double, while Junior Castillo, 18, also turned in a two-hit game. The D-Nats finished with 11 hits overall, and the win ended their 0-for-August stretch. Garces added an outfield assist at third, and Castillo was 1-for-10 with a caught stealing on a stolen base attempt.
In Other News...
Nationals Suddenly Need A Rotation Answer After Jake Irvins Rough Night
After Jake Irvin was knocked around by the Cubs and lasted just over three innings on 88 pitches, the Nationals were forced to piece together the rest of the night with their bullpen. It was the kind of outing that can scramble a pitching plan in a hurry, especially for a club still trying to settle on a stable rotation mix and protect its relievers from overuse.
Now Washington has turned to Jackson Kent, a prospect being summoned from Triple-A Rochester for his first major league start. The move adds some immediate intrigue to the staff picture, and it also leaves one more roster decision hanging after the game, even as the Nationals try to reset quickly around a rotation spot that suddenly needs an answer. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals Prospect Devin Fitz-Gerald Is Giving Their System New Life
The Nationals farm system has started to look a little healthier lately, and Devin Fitz-Gerald has been a big reason why. Acquired in the MacKenzie Gore trade, the 2024 fifth-round shortstop has moved steadily through Washingtons minors and earned a promotion to Double-A Harrisburg after playing well at High-A Wilmington, a sign that the organizations infield depth is producing more than just hope.
Fitz-Gerald is part of a broader wave of movement that has given the Nationals something to point to in the lower levels. Catcher Maxwell Romero Jr. has been bumped to Triple-A Rochester, while center fielder Yeremy Cabrera also showed real development at Wilmington, and those names together suggest Washington is finally seeing some traction from the kind of prospect pipeline it has needed to rebuild around. [Read more 🡒]