The Nationals will get a look at another newly acquired reliver before season’s end, calling up right-hander Sauryn Lao from Triple-A and optioning Orlando Ribalta to Rochester before today’s series finale against the Braves.
Lao was claimed off waivers from the Mariners on Sept. 3, a 26-year-old rookie who pitched in two major league games for Seattle earlier this season after spending the first nine years of his professional career in the Dodgers organization.
Lao (whose name is pronounced “SOW-rin low”) made three appearances for Rochester following his acquisition from Seattle, allowing one run over 5 2/3 innings, with five hits, two walks and two strikeouts. He primarily throws a four-seam fastball that averages 92 mph and a slider that averages 86 mph, utilizing those two pitches an equal number of times in his brief big league career.
“It’s a fresh arm that can help us,” interim manager Miguel Cairo said. “We got him on waivers, and they want to see him, and this is a chance for him to show what he’s got, and if he can help us.”
Lao didn’t exactly take a conventional path to get here. The Dominican native was originally signed by the Dodgers in 2016 as a corner infielder, converting to a pitcher only in 2023 after his hitting career stalled out at Single-A. He has found new life in the new role, going 8-5 with a 3.46 ERA and 1.251 WHIP in 99 minor league games, including 19 starts for the Mariners’ Triple-A affiliate in Tacoma this season.
The Nationals appear to view Lao more as a reliever, though he recorded at least five outs in each of his three appearances with Rochester, throwing 31 pitches over two scoreless innings in his last game Sunday.
Ribalta heads back to the minors again to cap off what had become an up-and-down season for the 27-year-old. A member of the Opening Day bullpen, he landed on the 15-day injured list with a right biceps strain after only four appearances. He returned healthy in July and was optioned to Triple-A, but then was called up Aug. 1. The Nats sent him down Sept. 11 when they needed to clear a roster spot for MacKenzie Gore’s return from the IL, but were forced to call him back up three days later when Cole Henry was shut down with a back strain.
All told, Ribalta has pitched in 20 major league games this season, with a 6.56 ERA and 1.757 WHIP, burned both by a high number of walks (15) and homers (six) in only 23 1/3 innings.
“I talked to him: He’s got to be more aggressive,” Cairo said. “When you get on the mound, you want to have a presence. He’s got a really good arm. He throws a very good changeup, a good sinker, a good fastball. But when you get on the mound, you want to have that presence: ‘I’m going to beat you. I’m going to go after you. I’m going to beat you, or you’re going to beat me.’”
* The Nationals haven’t announced yet their pitching plan for their weekend series at the Mets, and Cairo said they’re still deciding whether to use a five-man or six-man rotation for the final week-plus of the season.
When they activated Gore off the IL last week, the Nats didn’t send a fellow starter down, knowing they would need six to get through Tuesday’s doubleheader with the Braves. Now that they’ve passed that point, they could go back to a five-man rotation with no trouble. But they’re also deciding if they’d rather stick with six starters and let everyone have some extra rest down the stretch.