The Nationals enjoyed a much-needed, feel-good Labor Day thanks to Andrew Alvarez, who tossed five scoreless innings in his major league debut and set the stage for his team to beat the Marlins 2-0 and snap an eight-game losing streak. So what does tonight have in store?

There won’t be another big league debut, but there will be another young pitcher on the mound for the Nats in Cade Cavalli. This is Cavalli’s sixth start of the season (seventh of his career) and he’s looking to bounce back from his first truly rough one, in which the Yankees scored seven runs in only 2 1/3 innings, blasting four homers in the process. The Marlins, on paper, look like a much more favorable matchup for the right-hander. And as things stand, he’s scheduled to face them again next week in Miami.

The Marlins send rookie Adam Mazur to the mound tonight for what will be only his 11th career start. (He’s 1-4 with a 7.06 ERA to date.) The Nats faced him last year, when he was with the Padres, and scored four runs in five innings.

MIAMI MARLINS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 6:45 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 75 degrees, wind 6 mph in from right field

MARLINS
Lineup TBA

The Washington Nationals agreed to terms with catcher Jorge Alfaro on a one-year contract and optioned catcher C.J. Stubbs to Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday. To make room on the 40-man roster, catcher Drew Millas was transferred to the 60-day Injured List. Nationals Interim General Manager Mike DeBartolo made the announcement. 

Alfaro, 32, comes to the Nationals after playing 82 games for Triple-A Nashville in the Milwaukee organization this season. He hit .244 with 10 doubles, a triple, 15 home runs, 49 RBI, 11 walks, 12 stolen bases and 49 runs scored. His 15 home runs this season ranked third among International League catchers, while his 12 stolen bases ranked second among all Triple-A backstops this season. Alfaro was also one of only two catchers in all of Minor League baseball to steal at least 10 bases and not be caught a single time.

Defensively this season, Alfaro has caught 23 of 64 prospective base-stealers (.641 stolen base percentage). His 23 caught stealings rank tied for fourth in all of Triple-A.

A native of Sincelejo, Colombia, Alfaro is a veteran of eight Major League seasons with the Phillies (2016-18), Marlins (2019-21), Padres (2022), Rockies (2023) and Red Sox (2023). He has hit .253 with 71 doubles, four triples, 48 home runs, 198 RBI, 18 stolen bases, 72 walks and 152 runs scored in 496 career Major League games.

Stubbs, 28, made his Major League debut yesterday and became the first Nationals catcher and first Major League catcher since 2019 to catch a shutout in his first Major League game.

As he grew up and dreamed of one day playing in the majors, C.J. Stubbs never could’ve predicted what would actually happen during his first inning in the big leagues.

The first batter of Monday’s game at Nationals Park, the Marlins’ Xavier Edwards, tapped a little roller between the mound and the plate. Stubbs, the Nats’ starting catcher, sprung to his feet, corralled the ball and made a strong throw to first for the out.

Just like that, the 28-year-old was officially a big league ballplayer.

“The first play, it kind of calmed me down,” he said. “I was kind of like: OK, I belong here. And I’m here because I worked my (butt) off.”

It’s what happened next that will forever remain in Stubbs’ memory bank. Edwards, who was steamed about one of Brennan Miller’s strike calls during the opening at-bat, barked at the plate umpire as he trotted back to the third base side, then kept going once he got back to the Miami dugout. Just as Stubbs was catching the next pitch to No. 2 batter Agustin Ramirez, Miller gave Edwards the heave-ho, prompting Marlins manager Clayton McCullough to come storming out of the dugout and scream a string of expletives at the umpire.

Forget about the notion five weeks ago Andrew Alvarez might somehow pitch five scoreless innings in the major leagues. The mere notion at that time that Alvarez might pitch in the major leagues at all sounded pretty ludicrous.

The 26-year-old left-hander seemingly had stalled out at Triple-A Rochester, winless through his first 19 starts of the season, his ERA in the high 4.00s. As much as the Nationals needed all the pitching help they could get, Alvarez didn’t figure to make the list of prime candidates for a promotion.

Those who know him well, though, knew all along Alvarez wasn’t about to give up on his dream. He was going to find a way to put himself back in the mix somehow, some way. And when his moment did finally come this afternoon, he wasn’t going to waste it.

With five scoreless innings of one-hit ball, Alvarez made his major league debut one to remember. And thanks to some help from the Nationals lineup and bullpen, he was appropriately rewarded for it with a 2-0 victory over the Marlins, snapping the team’s eight-game losing streak in the process.

"It's hard to put into words," he said. "I'm just blessed and thankful. The team played awesome, and at the end of the day, the team won. It's such an honor to be a part of this. You dream of this as a kid. And to have it come to fruition is no more than a miracle."

Who do you want to send to the mound when you need someone to end a long losing streak? How about a guy making his major league debut?

OK, so it’s perhaps a bit unfair for the Nationals to put that kind of pressure on Andrew Alvarez. The 26-year-old left-hander was a 12th-round pick in the 2021 draft, and he’s not among the organization’s top prospects. But he’s nevertheless going to lead his team onto the field at Nationals Park this afternoon, making his big league debut against the Marlins while trying to snap his team’s eight-game losing streak.

Alvarez, who did produce a 2.37 ERA and 39 strikeouts over his last 30 1/3 innings for Triple-A Rochester, will try his best to keep the Nats in the game before handing it over to a bullpen that actually has been really good of late, including nine scoreless innings of one-run ball the last two days against the Rays. He’s one of two September call-ups joining the roster today, with infielder Nasim Nuñez also promoted from Triple-A.

The best thing the Nationals could do to support their rookie hurler? Get on the board first and give him a lead, something they’ve done only once during this losing streak. (And that 1-0 lead didn’t even last a full inning.) The Marlins apparently are going with a bullpen game today, so they’re going to see a bunch of arms, hoping they can do some damage against several of them along the way.

MIAMI MARLINS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 1:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 76 degrees, wind 8 mph in from center field

When it came time to select a pitcher to promote as their September call-up, the Nationals knew they needed Andrew Alvarez, who will make his major league debut this afternoon as MacKenzie Gore’s replacement in the rotation.

When it came time to select a position player to fill the other slot on their expanded September roster, the Nats chose to go with someone who has been here several times before, in the hopes he can provide a much-needed spark to a team mired in an eight-game losing streak: Nasim Nuñez.

Nuñez was officially recalled from Triple-A Rochester this morning, the 25-year-old making his second big league stint of the season after spending all of the 2024 season here as a Rule 5 Draft pick.

The high-energy infielder may have a tough time cracking the lineup on a regular basis, but interim manager Miguel Cairo did say he’s “going to play some,” with shortstop CJ Abrams and second baseman Luis García Jr. getting occasional days off down the stretch.

“He’s exciting,” Cairo said. “A lot of energy. He was doing good at Triple-A. He was doing everything. He was hitting line drives, he was bunting. That’s the kind of player (we want). Energy. Good defense. He can change the game on the bases. I’m glad he’s here.”

The worst summer in Nationals history came to a close this afternoon in much the same fashion as far too many ballgames over the last three months played out. A 7-4 loss to the Rays had all the hallmarks of previous losses, from a big hole created by a struggling starting pitcher to a futile attempt by the lineup to make up the big deficit.

In getting swept by Tampa Bay, the Nats saw their losing streak swell to eight games. At no point during the streak have they held a lead at the conclusion of any inning.

The misery extends far past these last eight games, though. The Nationals wrapped up the month of August with a 9-19 record. This after they went 9-15 in July. This after they went 7-19 in June. It’s the first time in club history they’ve failed to win at least 10 games in at least one of the three summer months.

That makes them 25-53 since June 1, a .321 winning percentage that easily ranks as worst in the majors during that extended span and would equate over an entire season to a 52-win pace.

"We were playing good," interim manager Miguel Cairo said, citing a recent 5-3 stretch against the Mets and Phillies. "It's not like they've given up or anything like that. They're battling. They're fighting. Today I told them: (25) more games. You've got to keep fighting. You've got to finish strong."

Andrew Alvarez will make his major league debut Monday afternoon against the Marlins, the 26-year-old left-hander set to be promoted by the Nationals from Triple-A Rochester to take the rotation spot that opened up when MacKenzie Gore landed on the 15-day injured list.

Interim manager Miguel Cairo announced the decision this morning, with Alvarez filling one of two allotted September call-up slots for the Nats. The other, a position player, will be announced prior to Monday’s game.

Alvarez doesn’t rank among the organization’s top 30 prospects, but he has outperformed expectations throughout most of his minor league career. Named the organization’s Pitcher of the Year in 2023 after posting a 2.99 ERA and 1.168 WHIP for Single-A Wilmington and Double-A Harrisburg, he reached Triple-A last season and has spent all of this season with Rochester.

Though his overall 2025 numbers (3-7, 4.10 ERA, 1.350 WHIP in 25 starts) don’t sparkle, Alvarez has stepped up his performance in recent weeks. Over his last six starts, he’s 3-0 with a 2.37 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 30 1/3 innings. He last pitched for the Red Wings on Tuesday, which lines him up to start Monday afternoon at Nationals Park on five days’ rest.

“He’s been one of the most consistent pitchers in Triple-A,” Cairo said. “He throws strikes, and that’s something I like. He was Pitcher of the Year, I think, a couple years ago. We want someone that can throw strikes. When you’ve got someone that can throw strikes and keep us in the game, that will be awesome.”

The Nationals have endured three losing streaks of at least seven games this season, which is not typically a sign of a good season. This current losing streak has seen them score a total of 16 runs, only five in their last four games.

So the focus heading into this afternoon’s series finale against the Rays has got to be offense, and how this lineup can somehow find a way to generate something at the plate, especially early on in an attempt to take a lead instead of trying to play from behind yet again.

The problem: The Nats will be facing a left-hander in Ian Seymour who just tossed five scoreless innings of one-hit, eight-strikeout ball against the Guardians in his last start. Seymour, drafted in 2020 out of Virginia Tech, is exactly the type of opposing starter who has given this team fits all year long. He actually throws more changeups (34.9 percent) than fastballs (30.8 percent) and nobody has produced an extra-base hit off that changeup yet this season.

Brad Lord, meanwhile, gets the nod for the Nationals, looking to bounce back from a rare dud, in which the rookie right-hander gave up seven runs in 4 1/3 innings at Yankee Stadium. Over his last two starts, Lord has seen his ERA jump from 3.26 to 3.84.

TAMPA BAY RAYS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 1:35 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Sunny, 76 degrees, wind 7 mph in from center field

A crowd of 26,148 at Nationals Park spent all afternoon looking for a reason, any reason, to cheer for the home team.

The home team provided few such moments. The only significant crowd reactions for most of the day, if you want to call them that, came when security guards corralled and escorted two fans who ran onto the field in separate incidents during the course of the Nationals’ 4-1 loss to the Rays.

Such disruptions have been incredibly rare in the 18 seasons of the ballpark’s existence. Far less rare: Tepid offensive performances like the one the Nats put on display today during their seventh straight loss.

Though they narrowly avoided getting shut out for the 12th time this season thanks to an eighth-inning run, the Nationals never came close to mounting any kind of serious threat against Tampa Bay’s pitching staff until that point. Through seven innings, they totaled one hit and four walks, nothing else. They never put more than one runner on base in any individual frame, going 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position one day after going 0-for-12 in those situations in the series opener.

"It's about preparation," interim manager Miguel Cairo said. "We still have young kids. Young, talented baseball players here. They're learning. But you've got to go out there and execute your plan. The pitchers don't dictate what you're going to swing, first of all. You've got to have a plan. If it's not your pitch, OK, let it go. But if it's in the strike zone, you've got to be ready to hit."

The Nationals have placed MacKenzie Gore on the 15-day Injured List (retroactive to 8/27) with left shoulder inflammation and recalled Mason Thompson from Triple-A Rochester.

Through good times and bad times, MacKenzie Gore has shown an ability to keep himself healthy and on the mound for the better part of three seasons now. But when the left-hander’s arm didn’t feel right in the wake of his last start, he conceded it was finally time to take a break. One he believes will be brief.

The Nationals placed Gore on the 15-day injured list today with left shoulder inflammation, an unexpected announcement but one that might in some way explain the 26-year-old’s struggles since the All-Star break.

Gore said his shoulder didn’t recover the way it normally does after Tuesday’s start at Yankee Stadium, which prompted the club to schedule an MRI.

“You always feel discomfort, especially going into September. It’s just recovering, it wasn’t right,” he said. “So we needed to get it checked out. We made a good decision; we got on it early. I should be alright.”

Gore said “nothing crazy showed up, like a significant injury” on the MRI. The Nationals are simply referring to it as inflammation in his shoulder. Though admitting the IL stint is necessary, the lefty expressed confidence it won’t be a long stint and insisted this won’t end his season.

It is an absolutely spectacular Saturday afternoon in the nation’s capital. I don’t know what we did to deserve this sustained fine weather in late-August, but eternal thanks to whomever is responsible for it. Now, can the home team make it worthwhile for everyone who comes to Nationals Park for this game?

The Nats are mired in a six-game losing streak, one that has featured several frustrating losses, but perhaps none as frustrating as Friday night’s series opener against the Rays. Despite totaling 12 hits and four walks, they scored only one run because they went 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position. Obviously, that won’t cut it in any situation. They have to be better today against right-hander Ryan Pepiot and the Tampa Bay bullpen.

Speaking of people who need to be better, Jake Irvin desperately needs a bounceback performance. It’s too late to salvage this month (0-4, 9.55 ERA) but perhaps the right-hander can at least end it on a high note and head into September feeling better about himself.

And the Nationals need someone in the rotation to step up and finish the season strong, because they just announced their most significant injury in a while: MacKenzie Gore has been placed on the 15-day IL with left shoulder inflammation. We’ll find out more shortly, so please check back for the full article before today’s game, but clearly this is not good news, especially at this late point in the season. Mason Thompson was recalled from Triple-A Rochester to take Gore’s roster spot for now.

TAMPA BAY RAYS at WASHINGTON NATIONALS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 4:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Sunny, 76 degrees, wind 6 mph in from left field

C.J. Stubbs stood by his new locker in the Nationals clubhouse and greeted his new teammates and team staff. It was his first time in a major league clubhouse, so he had a lot to soak in and many new faces to meet.

The Nationals selected Stubbs’ contract from Triple-A Rochester yesterday to make him the backup catcher. He replaces Drew Millas, who landed on the 10-day injured list after having surgery to stabilize the fracture and repair the joint on his left index finger.

“I was definitely overwhelmed and shocked,” Stubbs said of when he heard the news. “I spent quite a few days in the minor leagues and got to the point where I wasn't sure if it was ever going to happen. And sometimes it doesn't happen the way you think it's going to happen, but however it does, I'm just so happy and humbled to be here.”

A 10th-round selection by the Astros in the 2019 MLB Draft out of the University of Southern California, the now 28-year-old spent the last six seasons in the minor leagues, joining the Nats organization in May 2024 after Houston released him.

While savoring the moment and anticipating his hoped-for major league debut in the coming days, Stubbs reflected on seeing his brother, current Phillies catcher Garrett Stubbs, make his own big league debut with the Astros on May 28, 2019 in Houston.

The Nationals could have made a significant decision ahead of Friday night’s series opener against the Rays. With Thursday’s off-day, they could have chosen to skip Mitchell Parker’s spot in the rotation while keeping the other four starters on normal rest, allowing the struggling left-hander to work on some things with some extra time before his next start.

Instead, they chose to keep him in his spot, with interim manager Miguel Cairo saying before the game Parker needs to pitch.

So he did pitch, and in fact he pitched very well, albeit in a 4-1 loss to Tampa Bay.

“It was nice to see him pitch like competing," Cairo said of Parker. "He was throwing strikes. He was attacking the hitters. … It was nice to see him come back and be who he can be. And it was really good to see that.”

Parker entered tonight with a 12.00 ERA and 1.952 WHIP over his five August starts, with the Nats winless in all of those outings. But he at least kept his team in the game by turning in his first quality start since July 19 against the Padres.

The Nationals officially placed Drew Millas on the 10-day injured list with a fractured and dislocated left index finger (retroactive to Aug. 28) and selected the contract of catcher C.J. Stubbs from Triple-A Rochester this afternoon. Millas underwent successful surgery today to stabilize the fracture and repair the joint on his finger.

“I feel bad for him. It was sad,” said interim manager Miguel Cairo during his pregame media session ahead of Friday’s series opener against the Rays. “He was doing so good and he's one of the future of the team, catcher. And he was doing good hitting and catching and everything. So the surgery went well today. Hopefully we'll get to see him tomorrow, over here. He's gonna come in. But everything went well. They did some stuff with the fracture, but everything went well today.”

Millas hurt his finger when he was called for catcher’s interference in the third inning Wednesday during an Austin Wells at-bat, when the Yankees catcher’s bat made contact with the Nats backstop’s catching hand while swinging at a 97 mph fastball from Cade Cavalli. Following surgery, Millas is expected to be done for the rest of the season, but ready for spring training next year.

He finishes the season hitting .306 with five doubles, a triple, seven RBIs, two stolen bases and four walks in 18 games. The 27-year-old threw out 2-of-8 would-be basestealers.

To replace him, the Nationals chose Stubbs over Francisco Mejía and Brady Lindsly at Rochester. The 28-year-old catcher signed a minor league deal with the Nationals after the Astros released him in May 2024. He hit .161 with a .602 OPS, three doubles, a triple, a homer and five RBIs in 24 games with the Red Wings this year following a promotion from Double-A Harrisburg.

The Nationals’ nightmare in New York is over … at least until they go back to Queens in three weeks. But for now, they get to enjoy a six-game homestand, starting with three games against the Rays to start this holiday weekend.

Mitchell Parker will take the mound for the series opener after the Nats chose not to use yesterday’s off-day to skip his spot in the rotation and give him some extra time to work on some things. The struggling lefty is 7-14 with a 6.01 ERA on the season and the Nats are winless in his five August starts as he’s pitched to a 12.00 ERA this month. He’ll need to get back on track tonight to give his team a chance and start making a case for his rotation spot next year.

Adrian Houser makes the start for the Rays. Since coming over in a trade with the White Sox at the deadline, the right-hander is 1-2 with a 5.32 ERA over his four starts with Tampa Bay and he’s given up four or more runs in three of those outings. So this might be a good opportunity for the Nats' offense to get back on track.

And the Nationals made an expected roster move official this afternoon, placing Drew Millas on the injured list with a fractured and dislocated finger and selecting the contract of catcher C.J. Stubbs from Triple-A Rochester.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. TAMPA BAY RAYS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 6:45 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, DC 87.7 (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Mostly clear, 76 degrees, wind 11 mph from left to right field

The Washington Nationals selected the contract of catcher C.J. Stubbs from Triple-A Rochester and placed catcher Drew Millas on the 10-day Injured List with a fractured and dislocated left second finger (retroactive to Aug. 28) on Friday. Nationals Interim General Manager Mike DeBartolo made the announcement.

Stubbs, 28, joins a Major League roster for the first time after he was taken in the 10^th round of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Southern California. In six Minor League seasons, he hit .204 with 72 doubles, seven triples, 67 home runs, 203 RBI, 199 walks and 51 stolen bases in 472 games. Defensively, Stubbs has thrown out 114 attempted base-stealers in 371 tries, holding runners to a .693 stolen base percentage.

A native of San Diego, Calif., Stubbs was originally drafted by the Houston Astros before signing with the Nationals as a Minor League free agent on May 14, 2024.

Stubbs produced an extra-base hit in each of his final two games in Rochester prior to his call-up. He homered against Toledo on Aug. 22 and doubled against the Mud Hens on August 24. He has thrown out 28 of the 76 attempted base-stealers against him this season and his .632 opponents stolen base percentage this season ranks second in the Nationals organization.

Millas, 27, hit .306 with five doubles, a triple, seven RBI, two stolen bases and four walks in 18 games for the Nationals this season.

When the pitching probables came out for the Nationals’ weekend series against the Rays, nothing was out of the ordinary. No new names appeared nor where there any TBAs listed:

* Friday – LHP Mitchell Parker vs. RHP Adrian Houser
* Saturday – RHP Jake Irvin vs. RHP Ryan Pepiot
* Sunday – RHP Brad Lord vs. LHP Ian Seymour

The only interesting factor was that Thursday’s off-day would have allowed the Nationals to skip Parker’s spot in the rotation and still have the other four starters make their next starts on normal rest.

Why would they have done that?

Parker has struggled the most out of the five starters currently in the Nats rotation. Some extra time in between starts may have helped the left-hander figure out some things in order to have a strong finish to the season.

NEW YORK – The Nationals left New York on Wednesday knowing they would need to make a roster move before Friday’s series opener against the Rays. Drew Millas departed yesterday’s 11-2 loss to the Yankees in the third inning after he was called for catcher’s interference during an Austin Wells at-bat against Cade Cavalli.

When Wells’ bat made contact with Millas’ catching hand while swinging at a 97 mph fastball from Cavalli, the backstop suffered a fracture and dislocation of his left second finger, putting the rest of his season in jeopardy. So the Nationals will call up C.J. Stubbs from Triple-A Rochester to fill in as the backup catcher, a source familiar with the upcoming move confirmed.

The Washington Post was first to report the news yesterday.

Stubbs’ first appearance with the Nats will be his major league debut after spending the last six seasons in the minor leagues following his selection by the Astros in the 10th round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of the University of Southern California.

The younger brother of Phillies catcher Garrett Stubbs, the 28-year-old backstop signed a minor league deal with the Nationals after the Astros released him in May 2024. In 24 games with Rochester this year following a promotion from Double-A Harrisburg, he is hitting .161 with a .602 OPS, three doubles, a triple, a homer and five RBIs.