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A very quick homestand comes to an end this afternoon for the Nationals, who still have a chance to keep their positive vibes going on South Capitol Street. They’ve actually won eight of their last 10 home games, not to mention their last three home series. A victory today over the Brewers would continue that trend.
After watching Josiah Gray labor through 3 2/3 innings during Tuesday’s loss, the Nats could really use something better from MacKenzie Gore. The young lefty has been alternating between good and bad starts for more than a month now. If the pattern holds, he’s due for a good one. These final two months are big for Gore, who has already topped the 100-inning mark and is likely to be shut down at some point in September. He would love to finish both healthy and effective.
The Nationals lineup gets to face a lefty this afternoon in veteran Wade Miley. The 36-year-old continues to pitch well in his 13th big league season, entering this one with a 3.06 ERA and 1.153 WHIP in 13 starts. This is, however, his first outing since July 9, after which he landed on the 15-day IL with a sore left elbow.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS vs. MILWAUKEE BREWERS
Where: Nationals Park
Gametime: 1:05 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Partly cloudy, 82 degrees, wind 3 mph out to left field
NATIONALS
SS CJ Abrams
RF Lane Thomas
DH Joey Meneses
LF Stone Garrett
1B Dominic Smith
C Riley Adams
CF Alex Call
3B Jake Alu
2B Michael Chavis
The 6 p.m. trade deadline came and went without any more moves from the Nationals. The front offices on South Capitol Street remained quiet after yesterday’s deal that sent Jeimer Candelario to the Cubs for two prospects.
So it was back to business as usual for the boys in the navy blue jerseys and curly W caps.
“Play baseball after that," manager Davey Martinez said after letting out a long sigh when asked about his emotions once the deadline passed. "A couple of our players came in at 6:01 p.m. and asked, 'Am I still here?' I go, 'Yeah, you guys are good. You got traded to the Washington Nationals, so congratulations. Keep playing.'”
Although the fact they didn’t trade away any more players may be a sign that the Nats are closer to contention now than they were when they started this rebuilding project at this time two years ago, unfortunately tonight’s on-field result was similar to many around these parts since the 2019 World Series: A 6-4 loss to the Brewers in front of 19,847 fans who came out to Nats Park on a beautiful August night.
Josiah Gray, who was acquired at the 2021 deadline, started the night off strong, but lost his command as the game went on.
The Nationals made their one obvious trade deadline move 24 hours before the deadline, dealing Jeimer Candelario to the Cubs before Monday night’s game. They then spent deadline day deciding if any offers they received for other potential candidates were good enough to make another move.
In the end, they didn’t believe any were worth it.
Kyle Finnegan and Lane Thomas are still part of the Nationals, as is anyone else who was on the roster this afternoon, after the club opted not to make any more moves before today’s 6 p.m. deadline. Candelario wound up the only player dealt this year.
Finnegan and Thomas always loomed as possible pieces to move at the deadline, but the price for either always was going to be high because of their contract statuses. Neither player can become a free agent until after the 2025 season, leaving the Nats to ponder whether they believed one or both could be part of what they hope will be a winning roster before either could depart on his own.
"Those are two guys we feel very good about," general manager Mike Rizzo said. "We're very high on both of them. They're good players, but more importantly, they're great guys in the clubhouse. They've both become leaders in the clubhouse. When you're building a young foundation like we are here, you've got to sprinkle in some good, veteran players. And those two guys are good players. (Potential trades) never reached the bar we set for each player."
We are just minutes before the trade deadline, and although the Nationals have made a few roster moves this afternoon, none of them have been in the form of a trade like last night’s deal of Jeimer Candelario to the Cubs for two prospects.
This afternoon the Nats announced they recalled infielder Jake Alu from Triple-A Rochester to take Candelario’s spot on the active roster.
“I was excited,” Alu said back in the Nats clubhouse. “I kind of understood the scenario of everything. Like I said, I was playing baseball just one day at a time and kind of just staying focused as much as I could. That's kind of how I went about it.”
This marks Alu’s fourth major league stint this season. He has appeared in five games, going 3-for-14 (.214) with one walk and one stolen base with the Nats.
On the farm, Alu, 26, has been having another strong season. He's tied for first among Nationals farmhands with 22 doubles and ranks in the system in hits (third, 90), runs (fifth, 48), batting average (sixth, .293), OPS (seventh, .777), RBIs (tied for seventh, 43), slugging percentage (eighth, .420) extra-base hits (eighth, 28) and on-base percentage (10th, .357).
It’s Trade Deadline Day, which means people all around baseball will be glued to their phones, computers and TVs awaiting the big moves being made throughout the day up until the 6 p.m. deadline.
For the Nationals, that means keeping an eye on names like Lane Thomas and Kyle Finnegan after Jeimer Candelario was traded to the Cubs for two prospects last night. Jake Alu was officially recalled from Triple-A Rochester this afternoon to take Candelario’s roster spot.
Thomas is in tonight’s starting lineup … for now. Keep an eye out for any lineup changes leading up to the deadline.
A guy who we know isn’t going anywhere and was acquired two years ago at the deadline is tonight’s starter, Josiah Gray. The young right-hander is 7-8 with a 3.27 ERA and 1.411 WHIP over his first 21 starts this year. After a shaky start to the second half, Gray has pitched seven innings of one-run ball and six shutout innings in his last two outings.
Freddy Peralta makes the start for the Brewers, who could be busy today as they are in a tight battle with the Reds at the top of the National League Central. Peralta is 6-8 with a 4.46 ERA and 1.248 WHIP in 20 starts this season. In five games (three starts) against the Nats, the right-hander is 2-2 with a 7.29 ERA and 1.381 WHIP.
The Washington Nationals claimed left-handed pitcher Robert Garcia off waivers from the Miami Marlins on Tuesday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.
Garcia, 27, went 2-0 with two saves and a 2.85 ERA in 31 games (one start) for Triple-A Jacksonville. He struck out 62 batters in 41.0 innings pitched and posted a .226 opponents’ batting average.
Garcia made his Major League debut on July 14 at Baltimore. He allowed one hit and one walk in 0.1 inning.
A native of Manteca, California, Garcia was selected by the Kansas City Royals in the 15th round of the 2017 First-Year Player Draft out of University of California-Davis. He is 13-17 with 15 saves, a 4.99 ERA and 10.43 strikeouts per 9.0 innings in 181 professional games (11 starts).
Please see the attached document for the updated 40-man roster.
The Washington Nationals recalled infielder Jake Alu from Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.
Alu, 26, is tied for first among Nationals farmhands with 22 doubles and ranks in the system in hits (3rd, 90), runs (5th, 48), batting average (6th, .293), OPS (7th, .777), RBI (T7th, 43), slugging percentage (8th, .420) extra-base hits (8th, 28) and on-base percentage (10th, .357).
This marks Alu’s fourth Major League stint of the 2023 season. He has appeared in five games, going 3-for-14 (.214) with one walk and one stolen base this season.
Alu was the 2022 “Nationals Way” Award winner after he led Washington’s Minor League system in average (.298), slugging percentage (.507), OPS (.872), doubles (40), extra-base hits (62) and total bases (252). He finished the season on a 20-game on-base streak, hitting in each of the final 14 games and tallying hits in 19 of those 20 games during the streak. At third base, Alu led all of Minor League Baseball (infielders and outfielders) with 17 defensive runs saved, according to Baseball Info Solutions.
A former 24th-round pick from Boston College, Alu was added to Washington’s 40-man roster following the 2022 season. With his Major League debut, he became the lowest drafted position player to make his Major League debut with the Washington Nationals in team history (2005-pres.).
This trade deadline always promised to be different from the previous two, in which the Nationals dealt away some of the biggest names in club history for premier prospects, four of which are currently on their big league roster.
So as Trade Deadline Day 2023 finally arrives, we already know not to expect those kind of fireworks coming out of the offices on South Capitol Street. The question now is: After Monday’s trade of Jeimer Candelario, will there be any fireworks at all?
Candelario was the likeliest player to be dealt all along, and Mike Rizzo went ahead and made that move with 24 hours to spare, sending the third baseman to the Cubs for minor league shortstop Kevin Made and left-hander DJ Herz. Where does that leave the organization now heading into the 6 p.m. deadline?
It’s quite possible the Nats don’t do anything else. There’s no obvious, slam-dunk name everyone expects to be gone at this point. Besides Candelario, the other players set to be free agents at season’s end are either injured (Carl Edwards Jr.) or haven’t been productive enough to generate much interest (Corey Dickerson).
The asking price, meanwhile, on players with multiple years of control remains quite high, according to sources familiar with Rizzo’s negotiations. Rizzo views Lane Thomas and Kyle Finnegan, in particular, as potential long-term pieces to the Nationals’ puzzle, so he isn’t about to give either away for whatever best offer he receives.
With their No. 3 hitter on his way to the North Side of Chicago, the Nationals face the daunting proposition of making up for lost production from a lineup that doesn’t have a lot of proven producers to begin with.
Fortunately, they have a guy who has already proven he can deliver at the plate at the trade deadline.
Joey Meneses, who famously homered in his major league debut hours after the Nats traded Juan Soto one year ago, did it again tonight. The 31-year-old designated hitter opened the bottom of the second with a blast to left field, his sixth homer in 19 games. Then he delivered a two-out, two-run single in the bottom of the seventh that gave the Nationals the 5-3 lead over the Brewers they would hold onto the rest of the night.
Only 30 minutes after they dealt Jeimer Candelario to the Cubs for two prospects, the Nats took the field with a depleted lineup, hoping someone else could step up and produce some runs for them tonight and over the season’s final two months.
They wound up with two someones coming through: Lane Thomas, who drove in a pair of runs, and Meneses, who drove in the other three in a familiar position.
The Washington Nationals acquired left-handed pitcher DJ Herz and shortstop Kevin Made from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for infielder Jeimer Candelario and cash considerations on Monday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.
Herz, 22, is 1-1 with a 3.97 ERA in 14 games (14 starts) for Double-A Tennessee. He has 80 strikeouts and a .216 opponents’ batting average in 59.0 innings pitched. He has pitched to a 0.90 ERA (1 ER/10.0 IP) with 17 strikeouts against just five walks and a .065 opponents’ batting average (2-for-31) over his last two starts. Herz struck out nine batters in 5.0 innings of one-hit ball in his most recent start on July 29 at Rocket City (LAA).
The 6-foot-2, 175-pound left-hander is rated as the No. 16 prospect in Chicago’s system per MLBPipeline.com and the No. 19 prospect according to Baseball America.
In 2022, Herz tied for the lead in Chicago’s Minor League system with 141 strikeouts in 95.1 innings pitched between High-A South Bend and Double-A Tennessee. In 66 starts across four professional seasons, Herz is 8-12 with a 3.80 ERA, 13.15 strikeouts per 9.0 innings and a .181 opponents’ batting average.
Herz was named Chicago’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2021 after leading the system with 131 strikeouts. He went 4-4 with a 3.31 ERA and a .157 opponents’ batting average in 21 starts in his first full professional season.
When the Nationals lineup for tonight’s series opener against the Brewers was published and Jeimer Candelario’s name wasn’t included, all eyes in the home clubhouse immediately turned toward the third baseman’s locker. Candelario, for the record, was there, in his usual Nats gear, preparing for batting practice.
Three hours later, he was no longer a National.
The Nats finalized a trade with the Cubs shortly before tonight’s game that will send Candelario back to the organization he began his career with, receiving two prospects in return, the club announced.
Kevin Made, a 20-year-old shortstop who was the Cubs’ 14th-ranked prospect, and DJ Herz, a 22-year-old left-hander who was their 16th-ranked prospect, will now join the Nationals organization.
Candelario was far and away the most likely Nationals player to be dealt before Tuesday’s 6 p.m. deadline. A number of teams, headlined by the Angels and Yankees, reportedly were interested in the 29-year-old, who entered the day with an .823 OPS, 30 doubles, 16 homers, 53 RBIs and 3.3 bWAR in 99 games played.
This is a weird portion of the Nationals schedule. They just went on the road for only four days. Now they’re back home for only three days before leaving town again.
This quick homestand comes against the Brewers, who are locked in a tight race with the Reds atop the NL Central. Milwaukee pitches well, so it’s going to be a challenge for a Nats lineup that totaled four runs in its three losses to the Mets over the weekend (while scoring 11 runs in their lone win).
Jake Irvin gets the ball, facing a Brewers lineup that has never seen him before. The rookie right-hander has done a nice job giving his team innings recently, completing at least six in each of his last two starts, but he did surrender four runs in two of his last three outings.
One roster move to announce here on Trade Deadline Eve: With Trevor Williams officially placed on bereavement leave, the Nationals have recalled right-hander Hobie Harris from Triple-A Rochester. Harris gives them a ninth reliever for a few days until Williams returns.
Although he's not in the starting lineup, Jeimer Candelario is still in the Nationals clubhouse and in uniform before tonight's game.
The Washington Nationals recalled right-handed pitcher Hobie Harris from Triple-A Rochester and placed right-handed pitcher Trevor Williams on the Bereavement List on Monday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.
Harris, 30, returns for his second stint with Washington after making the Nationals’ 2023 Opening Day roster. He appeared in 15 games out of Washington’s bullpen, pitching to a 5.40 ERA. Harris allowed two earned runs in 7.1 innings (2.45 ERA) across his final six outings before being optioned to Triple-A Rochester on May 20.
In nine games with the Red Wings, Harris went 1-2 with a 8.10 ERA. He was placed on the Injured List on June 10 and was activated on July 22. Harris allowed two earned runs on three hits in 3.1 innings across three outings prior to being recalled.
Harris enjoyed his best professional season in 2022, leading International League pitchers (min. 50.0 IP) and ranking second in Milwaukee’s Minor League system in ERA (2.04) and opponents’ batting average (.164).
Williams, 31, is 5-6 with a 4.72 ERA in 22 starts for the Nationals this season.
NEW YORK – The first time came on the back end of a perfectly executed double-steal, with Jeimer Candelario drawing the throw to second to allow CJ Abrams to race home from third.
The second time came moments after a pickoff attempt, Abrams immediately swiping second ahead of the throw.
And by the third time Abrams attempted to steal Sunday afternoon at Citi Field, the Mets didn’t even bother attempting to throw him out.
The first three-steal game of Abrams’ career wasn’t enough to propel the Nationals to victory. They only scored two runs as a team, and one of those came via the aforementioned double-steal in the top of the first. But it did underscore just how far the 22-year-old shortstop has come in a short period of time, not only at the plate and in the field but on the bases as well.
Abrams is now 24-for-26 on the season on stolen-base attempts, and 21 for his last 21. He hasn’t been thrown out since May 3, when he took off for second too soon and was picked off by the Cubs’ Adbert Alzolay.
NEW YORK – The weekend had already included rain delays, trades and a lot of offense. Sunday’s series finale between the Nationals an Mets included none of that.
Nor did it include a win for the visitors.
A tepid offensive showing against Justin Verlander and a laborious start from Trevor Williams doomed the Nats during a 5-2 loss to close out a long weekend at Citi Field that ultimately didn’t prove to be as rewarding as they hoped.
Despite facing a Mets club tearing down the most expensive roster in major league history and conceding it won’t be winning anything this year, the Nationals still wound up losing three out of four. The consistent theme in those three losses: A lack of offensive punch.
The Nats scored 11 runs in Saturday night’s lone victory. They scored a combined four runs in their three losses.
NEW YORK – When the Nationals’ lineup for today’s series finale against the Mets was posted and Lane Thomas’ name was notably missing, eyebrows surely were raised within the clubhouse, the fan base and perhaps around the rest of the majors.
Such is life in the final days of July, when any player who could be on the trade block doesn’t play.
Thomas’ day off, though, is nothing more than that. Manager Davey Martinez said he had been wanting to give his right fielder a breather for a while, and with a quick turnaround from Saturday night’s rain-delayed win, this felt like the right time to do it.
“He’s good. I’ve just got to give him a day,” Martinez said. “I just wanted to give him a day off today, and he’ll come back tomorrow and be ready to go.”
Thomas started 103 of the Nationals’ first 105 games this season, and both of his days off came way back in April. His performance and importance to a lineup short on consistent production has dictated his usage, and Martinez has been hesitant to sit him at all.
NEW YORK – It’s been quite a weekend here at Citi Field, with two rain delays, two wins for the Mets, one win for the Nationals and one massive trade of a New York pitcher who will forever be better known for pitching for Washington. Now it’s the finale of this four-game series, the Nats with a chance to head home with a split and rub some more salt in the Mets’ wounds.
Neither team released its starting lineup early, which is no surprise given the presence of the trade deadline in two days. No reason to unveil something that could change before gametime. But as far as we know, Jeimer Candelario is playing for the Nationals and Justin Verlander is starting for the Mets.
Verlander could be on his way out at some point in the next 48 hours, perhaps back to Houston, where he’d suddenly be going up against Max Scherzer and the Rangers in the American League West pennant race. If he does start today, he’ll be facing the Nats for the first time this season. The 40-year-old has been very good of late, with a 1.46 ERA in his last six starts.
Trevor Williams, meanwhile, faces his former team for the third time this season. The right-hander gave up four runs in five innings here in April, then allowed one run in 2 1/3 innings in a May start that was cut short by a long rain delay.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS at NEW YORK METS
Where: Citi Field
Gametime: 1:40 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Mostly sunny, 77 degrees, wind 9 mph in from left field
NEW YORK – There haven’t been many days in the last two years when the Nationals could compare themselves to the Mets and feel better about their own situation than their division counterparts. And there may not be many more days in the near future when that will be the case.
But on this day, July 29, 2023, it was impossible for the guys in the visitors’ dugout at Citi Field to look across the way and believe the grass was any greener over there.
Hours after watching the Mets consummate a haphazard deal that will send Max Scherzer (and a boatload of money) to the Rangers for Ronald Acuña Jr.’s younger brother, the Nationals proceeded to beat up on their hosts and the fans who waited out yet another rain delay, pouring salt in their wounds during an 11-6 thumping.
Make no mistake, the Mets are still ahead of the Nationals in the NL East by 5 1/2 games. And they are going to be motivated to go all-in on trying to win the World Series title that has eluded them since 1986 once again next year. But forgive anybody wearing a curly W cap tonight for feeling even a twinge of schadenfreude given the events of the last 48 hours.
"You're always surprised when, especially a team like the Mets that has so many good players, and all of a sudden they decide the trade was imminent with him," manager Davey Martinez said. "I can say to the Rangers that they're getting a quality starter, a guy that's going to go out there and give them everything he's got. He's definitely going to help Texas. As you all know, I love Max. He's done some unbelievable things for us here in D.C., and I wish him well. I'm glad we don't have to face him again."
NEW YORK – Jeimer Candelario is back in the Nationals lineup tonight, having survived Friday night’s injury scare and ready to resume playing as Tuesday’s trade deadline inches closer.
Candelario thought he hurt his left shoulder an awkward slide into second base as he tried to stretch an eighth-inning single into a double during the Nats’ 5-1 loss to the Mets. He immediately grabbed his left arm and motioned to the dugout for a trainer, then later walked off the field under his own power.
The 29-year-old didn’t return, but because he was serving as designated hitter instead of playing his usual third base position, he was never officially taken out of the game. He wound up taking swings in the cage and declared himself fine and even said he would’ve been able to bat had his spot in the lineup come up again.
“It was scary, but I’m good,” he said afterward.
Davey Martinez didn’t hesitate to put Candelario back in the lineup for tonight’s game against the Mets, penciling him back into the No. 3 spot and at third base.
NEW YORK – It’s been a rough week at the plate for the Nationals. Even in their victories over the Rockies at home, they needed to rally in the eighth and ninth to pull ahead. In fact, they have scored only three runs (two of those unearned) in the first six innings of their last five games. That’s got to change at some point, right?
Perhaps it will tonight against Carlos Carrasco, who enters with a 5.82 ERA, having just been roughed up by the Red Sox for five runs and 10 hits in only 2 1/3 innings six days ago. The Mets right-hander has yet to face the Nationals this season, so there’s no recent track record in either direction.
Davey Martinez has two changes to his lineup: Stone Garrett starts in left field, even against the righty, instead of Corey Dickerson. And Riley Adams gets the nod behind the plate, with Keibert Ruiz resting and presumably set to start Sunday’s series finale.
Patrick Corbin gets the start for the Nats, and he could use a good one after allowing six runs (five earned) on 10 hits his last time out against the Rockies. Corbin did pitch well against the Mets earlier this season, allowing two runs over six innings. His biggest challenge tonight: Keeping Pete Alonso in the yard. The New York slugger (who blasted two home runs Friday night) is 14-for-40 with five homers in his career against Corbin.
WASHINGTON NATIONALS at NEW YORK METS
Where: Citi Field
Gametime: 7:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, MLB.com
Weather: Chance of storms, 88 degrees, wind 14 mph out to right field
