The Washington Nationals are reportedly on the verge of giving Jackson Kent his first shot in the majors.
Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic reported that the left-hander is expected to be promoted for his MLB debut, with the move likely coming Tuesday as Washington opens a three-game set against the Chicago Cubs. The Nationals have Monday off, which gives them a little room to sort out the rotation before the series begins.
The timing makes sense on a couple of fronts. Washington just released Zack Littell this past weekend, leaving a spot open in the rotation, and Kent has been turning heads throughout his climb through the system.
Ranked No. 8 in the Nationals’ pipeline, Kent started the season in Double-A Harrisburg and wasted little time forcing the issue. He put up a 2.35 ERA over seven starts there before moving up to Triple-A Rochester, where the organization wanted a better look at how he’d handle a big-league-style workload.
His Triple-A numbers have been more uneven - a 4.38 ERA in 13 starts - but the stuff has clearly played. Kent has been working in the mid-90 mph range early in outings, and that bump in velocity has helped him miss bats at a 25% clip in Triple-A, which ranks in the 82nd percentile.
Nusbaum also noted that Kent "is regarded as one of the system's most cerebral thinkers," a trait that helped him stand out even before all the pieces of his arsenal fully came together. Now that he’s shown he can get both left-handed and right-handed hitters out, Washington appears ready to find out what that looks like against major league lineups.
There’s still a little uncertainty about the exact timing. Kent is expected to step into Littell’s rotation spot, and Littell last pitched on Aug. 4, which points toward a debut against the Cubs.
But with the rotation already adjusted after Littell’s release, it’s also possible the 23-year-old doesn’t officially make his debut until after that matchup. Blake Butera could also shuffle the staff again on Monday before the Nationals line up for one of the NL’s best teams.
Either way, this is a significant call-up for Washington. And if Kent handles the opportunity well, he could wind up sticking in the big leagues for the rest of the season.
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