Thursday brought a little bit of everything across the Nationals’ system: a suspended game in Rochester, a late rally in Harrisburg, a clean High-A debut in Wilmington, and another tough night for Fredericksburg and the rookie-level F-Nats.
The biggest swing of the day came in Harrisburg, where the Senators turned a 2-2 game into a 7-2 finish with a five-run burst in the eighth. Alex Clemmey gave them a strong start, working five innings and allowing one run on three hits and four walks while striking out four.
He was in line for the win until Seth Shuman gave up the tying homer in the seventh, then got tagged with the blown save before also collecting the win. The Senators finally cracked it open with a single, a double and two hit-by-pitches in the eighth, and T.J.
White and Cortland Lawson delivered the big blows with two-run singles. Harrisburg finished 4-for-8 with runners in scoring position, and Holden Powell closed it out with a scoreless ninth after a double play erased a leadoff single.
Wilmington kept its momentum going with a 5-3 win at Hudson Valley in Carson Fischer’s High-A debut. Fischer, who took the ball with a four-run cushion, worked six innings and earned both the win and a quality start, allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks.
He struck out one. Baron Stuart covered an inning, and Eiker Huizi finished it off for the save.
The Blue Rocks did their damage early: Kevin Bazzell capped a four-run first with a two-run homer after RBI doubles from Yeremy Cabrera and Ronny Cruz. Cabrera later added his own homer to give Wilmington its fifth run.
Rochester’s game with Lehigh Valley was suspended with the IronPigs leading 2-0 in the top of the fifth and two runners aboard when rain stopped play. The teams will finish that one tonight before playing a seven-inning game afterward.
A. Lara had thrown 4-plus innings, giving up two runs on four hits with no walks and two strikeouts, while Morales went 1-for-2.
The night also came with a roster move, as right-hander Kyle Nicolas was assigned from Washington after the DFA trade with Baltimore.
Fredericksburg fell 7-4 at Columbia, with the offense getting little going after an early push. The line score showed Manning taking the loss after 2 2/3 innings, and Otanez throwing 2 1/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen. Fien went 3-for-5 with a triple and two RBIs, while Jones added a homer, an RBI and a run scored.
At the rookie level, the FCL Nationals dropped a 2-0 decision to the FCL Astros, then the FCL Mets handed them another 2-0 loss. Noah Millikan took the defeat in the second game, working 5 2/3 innings and allowing two runs, one earned, on three hits and two walks with seven strikeouts.
Leodarlyn Colon made his first appearance and got the final four outs. Brady Cerkownyk doubled, and Marconi German, Christhian Vaquero and Luis Arias each had a single as the F-Nats were held to four hits.
The DSL Nationals had the day off before their matchup with the DSL Tigers 1.
And there was one more bit of news for the organization: Eli Willits, recently named the #13 overall prospect by Baseball America in its post-preseason pre-midseason latest Top 100 list, and Miguel Sime Jr. (#9 on the BA’s Washington Top 30) were selected to the 2026 Futures Game, set for July 12, the Sunday before the All-Star Break.
In Other News...
Orioles Already Flipped Kyle Nicolas Again For Something Else
The Nationals made a small but notable move in adding reliever Kyle Nicolas, then promptly sent him to Triple-A Rochester while clearing a 40-man spot by moving Mitchell Parker to the 60-day injured list. It was the kind of roster shuffle that comes with July business, but it also put Washington in position to take a closer look at a power arm whose big-league track record has been uneven and whose control has long been part of the conversation.
There is also a bit of franchise history tucked into the transaction. The deal with Baltimore was the first trade between the clubs since the Nationals moved from Montreal to Washington in 2005, a reminder that even neighboring teams can go years without matching up in the transaction market. For Washington, the bigger question now is whether Nicolas can turn the raw stuff that keeps him interesting into something more reliable once he settles in with Rochester. [Read more 🡒]
Diamondbacks Linked To Another Rotation Target Fans Have Wanted
The market for young pitching may be starting to take shape, and the latest name drawing interest is Los Angeles Angels left-hander Reid Detmers. St. Louis has been mentioned as a possible trade suitor, but the discussion around Detmers also includes Washington, Arizona and Oakland, which is hardly a surprise given the appeal of a starter who is still under club control through 2028 and showing signs he can handle a bigger role.
Detmers has put together a 3.88 ERA this season and has already worked himself into the conversation as a potential frontline starter. His June run only helped that case, and for a Nationals club that has been tied to the same pitching conversation as several others, the question is less about whether the fit makes sense and more about how aggressive the front office wants to get if the asking price starts climbing. [Read more 🡒]
Nationals May Have An Unusual Bullpen Option Fans Didn't See Coming
Erick Mejia has taken one of the more unusual paths in the Nationals system, going from an outfielder to a pitcher and steadily working his way through the minors. In 2025, he put together a 4.59 ERA across three levels, then opened this season with a 1.50 ERA in Double-A before earning a move to Triple-A, where the early returns have been encouraging.
For Washington, the appeal goes beyond the backstory. Mejias metrics have drawn attention, and the organization has reason to keep watching closely as it looks for help on the mound. If the bullpen continues to wobble, his name could move from curiosity to real possibility sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]