The Washington Nationals made a bullpen move Friday, recalling right-hander Yovanny Cruz while placing Orlando Ribalta on the 15-day Injured List with inflammation in his right forearm.
It’s a tough break for a team that has leaned on Ribalta as one of the more dependable arms in the back end of the bullpen. He has been a steady option for manager Blake Butera, and the timing of the injury makes the call-up for Cruz a necessity rather than a planned look.
Ribalta’s season has been a useful one for Washington. Across 43.0 innings, the 28-year-old has posted a 3.77 ERA and a 1.209 WHIP, while appearing in 45 games and collecting 2 saves. He has been a regular late-inning presence for the Nationals, giving Butera someone he could trust when the game tightened up.
The move also brings Cruz back to the majors after some uneven first outings with the club. Washington had acquired pitching as part of its deadline strategy, a push driven in part by the bullpen’s rough first half. Cruz was one of the arms brought in to help that area, and now he gets another chance with Ribalta unavailable.
The injury itself is what raises the concern. Ribalta went straight to the IL, and Butera sounded worried in the postgame yesterday. Forearm inflammation can be tricky, and while nothing has been confirmed beyond the injury designation, the situation clearly puts a damper on what had been a solid season for the right-hander.
For a Nationals team that has already seen plenty of roster churn this year, the loss of Ribalta removes another reliable piece from the bullpen mix. Cruz now steps into that spot, and Washington will be hoping he can provide some stability while Ribalta recovers.
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