Nationals announce roster moves

The Washington Nationals made the following roster moves on Monday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcements.

• Recalled left-handed pitcher Mitchell Parker from Triple-A Rochester
• Recalled catcher Drew Millas from Triple-A Rochester
• Returned infielder Nick Senzel from rehab and reinstated him from the Injured List
• Optioned infielder Trey Lipscomb to Triple-A Rochester
• Placed catcher Keibert Ruiz on the 10-day Injured List retroactive to April 12 with Influenza
• Optioned right-handed pitcher Amos Willingham to Triple-A Rochester on Sunday 

A fifth-round pick by the Nationals in 2020, Parker, 24, receives his first call to the Major Leagues and is scheduled to make his debut tonight in Los Angeles against the Dodgers. Coming into the season, he ranked among all Minor League pitchers in opponents’ slugging percentage (2nd, .351), strikeouts per 9.0 innings (3rd, 11.36), strikeouts (T5th, 411), home runs (6th, 28) and opponents’ batting average (11th, .237) since the start of 2021. Parker led all Minor League left-handed pitchers in opponents’ slugging, strikeouts per 9.0 and was tied for the lead in strikeouts over that stretch. 

Parker is set to become the 27^th pitcher drafted or signed and developed by Washington to start a game for the club since 2005. Fellow San Jacinto College (TX) alum Jackson Rutledge was the most recent pitcher to do so. 

Parker threw 4.0 innings, struck out five and allowed one unearned run on one hit in his only start for Triple-A Rochester this season. In four Minor League seasons, he is 19-23 with a 4.15 ERA and 416 strikeouts in 329.2 innings. 

Millas, 26, returns to the Nationals for his second stint of the season. He went 1-for-3 with a stolen base and caught a runner attempting to steal second in his only game with Washington this year on April 10 at San Francisco. He played in three games in Rochester after he was optioned last Wednesday, going  1-for-5 with a double and an RBI.

Senzel, 28, returns from a fractured right thumb suffered just before Opening Day in Cincinnati on March 28. In three rehab games with Double-A Harrisburg, he went 4-for-7 with a double, an RBI, three walks and two runs scored.

The No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 First-Year Player Draft, Senzel signed a one-year contract with the Nationals in the offseason. He has hit .239 with 53 doubles, four triples, 33 home runs, 125 RBI, 104 walks, 32 stolen bases and 175 runs scored in 377 Major League games over parts of five seasons.

Lipscomb, 23, hit .224 with a home run, four RBI, three walks, four stolen bases and seven runs scored in 14 games.

Ruiz, 25, has hit .194 with a home run, three RBI, two walks and two runs scored in eight games this year.

Willingham, 25, was recalled on April 12, but did not pitch.