DENVER – Andry Lara didn’t understand why Matt LeCroy called a postgame team meeting Friday in Rochester. He certainly didn’t foresee the news his Triple-A manager was about to reveal.

“They did a team meeting afterward, and I was kind of shocked by it,” the right-hander said, via interpreter Kenny Diaz. “But nonetheless, I’m happy to be here. And my family and I are super excited to be here.”

Lara said this standing at his locker at Coors Field this morning, a gray Nationals jersey with his name and the number 72 hanging behind him. He’s a big leaguer, if only for one day.

Needing to add a 27th man for their day-night doubleheader against the Rockies, the Nats promoted the only player who realistically made any sense for the assignment. Lara may sport a 9.26 ERA in three starts for Rochester so far this season, but he was the only pitcher on the 40-man roster who wasn’t already either in the big leagues or on the injured list.

So, the 22-year-old got the call Friday night, flew to Denver on Saturday and now finds himself available to pitch out of the bullpen in either of today’s games.

Heston Kjerstad walked into the clubhouse this morning with his right elbow wrapped in white tape and a smile on his face.

He seemed fine last night after leaving the game with a bruised elbow from the 99.5 mph fastball from the Reds’ Hunter Greene that slammed into his arm in the first inning. He swung both arms while walking to his locker and fist-bumped a teammate. And he went out to the field today to do a health check.

Fortunately for Kjerstad, the ball hit part of the protective elbow gear and part of the arm, which caused some numbness in his hand. He wasn’t able to bat in the third inning, and Ramón Laureano hit two home runs off the bench.

X-rays came back negative.

The timing for Kjerstad is unfortunate. He began the game slashing .353/.389/.941 with a double, three homers, eight RBIs and five runs scored since April 12.

DENVER – It’s going to be a long day and night of baseball here at Coors Field. Lord knows how many runs these two teams will combine to score over 18 innings of play, but it should be entertaining.

The first game of the doubleheader sees Jake Irvin on the mound for the Nationals. He’s coming off his best start of the season, having shut out the Pirates over seven innings Tuesday to earn his first win of the year. We know Irvin’s curveball is his bread-and-butter out pitch, but can he have the same success with it in the thin air that MacKenzie Gore did Saturday? He pitched here last summer and proved he could do it, striking out 10 over six innings of one-run ball.

The Nats will also hope to keep their power stroke going at the plate following Saturday’s 12-run explosion that included four homers, all to the opposite field. Dylan Crews, James Wood and Co. will be facing veteran left-hander Kyle Freeland, who has spent his entire career here and done a pretty good job given the conditions. Freeland is 60-76 with a 4.49 ERA in 209 games over nine seasons. He’s not a big strikeout guy, but he does throw strikes, so the Nationals will need to be ready to hit.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at COLORADO ROCKIES
Where: Coors Field, Denver
Gametime: 1:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Mostly sunny, 58 degrees, wind 6 mph in from center field

NATIONALS
LF James Wood
2B Amed Rosario
DH Josh Bell
1B Nathaniel Lowe
RF Dylan Crews
C Riley Adams
CF Jacob Young
3B Trey Lipscomb
SS Nasim Nuñez

The Washington Nationals recalled right-handed pitcher Andry Lara from Triple-A Rochester to be the 27^th man for the doubleheader in Colorado on Sunday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.

Lara, 22, led Washington’s system in wins (11) and WHIP (1.16), ranked second in innings pitched (134.2 IP) and third in strikeouts (132) last season. He ranked second among qualified Nationals Minor Leaguers in ERA (3.34) and opponents’ batting average (.227) in 25 games between High-A Wilmington and Double-A Harrisburg.

In five professional seasons, Lara is 23-31 with a 4.54 ERA in 85 games (82 starts). He’s posted a .243 opponents’ batting average, a 1.31 WHIP and 8.26 strikeouts per 9.0 innings along the way. A native of Coro, Venezuela, Lara was the No. 16 prospect in the 2019 International Signing Class, according to Baseball America.

Lara has made three starts for Triple-A Rochester this season. He is 0-1 with a 9.26 ERA with seven strikeouts in 11.2 innings of work.

Lara’s first appearance will be his Major League debut.

The Orioles have made the following roster moves:

• Recalled RHP Cody Poteet from Triple-A Norfolk. He will wear No. 53.
• Optioned RHP Brandon Young to Triple-A Norfolk.

Heston Kjerstad is out of today’s lineup after taking a 99.5 mph fastball off his right elbow yesterday and leaving the game. X-rays were negative.

Kjerstad gets an extra day to rest Monday before the Orioles begin their series in D.C.

Cedric Mullins is leading off, followed again by Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman. Ryan O’Hearn is in right field.

Ramón Laureano, who homered twice yesterday off the bench, is in left field.

Jordan Westburg, who homered yesterday to snap an 0-for-30 stretch, is the designated hitter.

Tyler Wells doesn’t know about a timetable that puts him back into a major league game. He won’t ask. Ignorance in some cases is bliss and intentional.

Wells is recovered from reconstructive-elbow surgery last June and is going through the early stages of a throwing progression. He’s played catch on flat ground for the past week.

“Everything’s been feeling really good with those,” he said yesterday.

“Hoping to get off the mound soon. Elbow’s feeling great, shoulder’s feeling great, body’s feeling good. So right now we’re just in that phase right now where we’re getting in flat grounds and hopefully in the next week or two we’ll be off the mound.”

The internal brace procedure is supposed to shorten the recovery period. The Orioles won’t rush Wells, but they need healthy pitchers.

The Orioles thought they knew what was coming today from Reds starter Hunter Greene - the 99-100 mph fastball, the plus-sliders, the scoreless streak, the stacked odds. Brandon Young was the riddle, an undrafted rookie making his major league debut.

Young’s hair is long, but the Orioles hoped that his outing would provide some length.

You can’t count on much these days, and that includes Greene’s dominance. He lasted only three innings and surrendered three homers among his five runs. Greene went four-plus and left with a lead. And Ramón Laureano provided an unexpected twist by homering twice off the bench.

Jordan Westburg snapped an 0-for-30 stretch with a homer, and seven relievers combined for two-run ball over five innings in the Orioles’ wild 9-5 victory over the Reds before an announced orange-clad crowd of 28,534 at Camden Yards.

Félix Bautista warmed and sat down after the Orioles (9-11) scored twice in the eighth. He got up again after Austin Hays led off the ninth by clearing the left field wall against Matt Bowman and Gavin Lux doubled. A walk brought Bautista into the game with two on and no outs, they were stranded to give him the save, and the Orioles will try to claim another series Sunday.

DENVER – As demoralizing as the first two legs of this three-city road trip were, the Nationals at least could take some solace knowing the location of their final stop: Coors Field.

Nothing turns a slumping lineup productive like some thin mountain air. And though they had to wait 19 hours for a mid-April snowstorm to pass through before finally opening their weekend series against the Rockies, the Nats happily accepted the much-needed offense that came with it.

Then again, nothing turns an already struggling bullpen into an absolute mess like Coors Field does, which meant not even a 10-run lead this afternoon was truly safe.

Despite getting four opposite-field homers, two of them by rookie Dylan Crews, and a 13-strikeout performance from starter MacKenzie Gore, the Nationals still had to hang on for dear life as their beleaguered bullpen gave up nine runs before closing out a way-too-tense, 12-11 victory.

"You know how many games like that I've seen here?" manager Davey Martinez sighed. "Whew, a lot."

DENVER – The Nationals arrived in Colorado a battered and bruised team. There are 11 players currently on the injured list, four of them having been sidelined since the season began.

The good news: They’re finally getting closer to bringing guys back to the active roster instead of losing them.

CJ Abrams and Michael Soroka, in particular, are making good progress in their respective recoveries.

Abrams, out since April 12 with a right hip flexor strain, has stayed with the team on this road trip and has been rehabbing with his teammates. The All-Star shortstop has begun hitting and continues to take grounders, though there are still a few steps remaining for him.

Abrams is eligible to come off the 10-day IL for Tuesday’s homestand opener against the Orioles. There appears to be a chance he’ll be ready for that series.

DENVER – The good news: It’s not snowing here anymore. The bad news: It’s still cold, cold enough to prevent the thin layer of white stuff that stuck Friday from melting in some shady areas. It’s going to be in the 40s when the Nationals and Rockies finally get their weekend series underway this afternoon, an hour later than originally scheduled to allow for more time for snow to melt and the field to be prepped.

The Nats hopefully used their unplanned day off to rest up and perhaps solve all their problems, of which there are many right now. They desperately need a winning weekend against the worst team in the majors. That’s going to require improvement in all phases, but especially at the plate.

The lineup should be licking its chops at Coors Field, but that group will be facing a promising young right-hander today in Chase Dollander. Once considered a potential No. 1 pick in the 2023 Draft out of Tennessee, he wound up falling to the Rockies at No. 9. He then cruised through the minor leagues, became a top-10 prospect and made his major league debut earlier this month. His first start wasn’t great (four runs in five innings vs. the Athletics) but his second one was solid (two runs in 5 2/3 innings vs. the Padres).

MacKenzie Gore gets the ball for the Nationals, hoping to keep the weakest-hitting lineup in baseball down with an ace-like performance. The lefty is coming off his worst start of the young season in Miami, where he gave up four runs on eight hits and three walks over six innings. He’s looking for a bounce-back performance in the cold today.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS at COLORADO ROCKIES
Where: Coors Field, Denver
Gametime: 4:10 p.m. EDT
TV: MASN, MLB.tv
Radio: 106.7 FM, 87.7 FM (Spanish), MLB.com
Weather: Mostly sunny, 45 degrees, wind 4 mph out to left field

Brandon Young, the Orioles’ No. 19 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, makes his major league debut this afternoon against the Reds. He’s wearing No. 63.

Young’s 8.50 strikeout-to-walk ratio with Norfolk ranked third in Triple-A among pitchers with a minimum 15 innings.

The Orioles designated reliever Scott Blewett for assignment. Blewett, who’s out of options, allowed an unearned run and five hits in 4 1/3 innings, with one walk and six strikeouts.

Jordan Westburg, who’s in an 0-for-27 slump, is the designated hitter today.

Cedric Mullins is leading off, followed by Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman. Jackson Holliday is playing second base and Heston Kjerstad is in left field.

The O’s rotation could get a shot in the arm this afternoon. 

Brandon Young, the Orioles’ ninth-ranked pitching prospect according to MLB Pipeline, is set to make his major league debut against the Cincinnati Reds. The right-hander brings elite command, and thus the ability to work deep into games, to a rotation in need of innings. 

“He has been outstanding,” said longtime Tides broadcaster Pete Michaud. “His first two starts were lights out.”

And that’s not an exaggeration. In his first two outings of the season, Young totaled over 11 innings without allowing an earned run. The 26-year-old allowed just seven hits and two walks while striking out 11, good for an opposing OPS of just .404. 

In those starts, Young’s strike rate was at a ludicrous 69 percent. For context, Zach Eflin is known for filling up the strike zone and boasts a 66 percent strike rate this season. 

Orioles outfielder Heston Kjerstad stayed in the lineup last night against Reds left-hander Andrew Abbott. He isn’t in a platoon role, which can be explained three ways.

1. Colton Cowser is on the injured list with a fractured left thumb, which is providing more starts for Kjerstad.

2. The Orioles wanted to give Kjerstad more at-bats and opportunities this season. They were quite transparent about it in camp, and he’s homered three times in six games.

3. Kjerstad is earning the club’s trust defensively.

The last one is evident by how he’s playing in left and right, and how manager Brandon Hyde seems to field more questions about Kjerstad’s glove than his bat. And in a good way this time.

Cade Povich raised his glove to his face and yelled as he drifted toward the third base line. Catcher Gary Sánchez walked to the mound and put an arm around his shoulder.

The body language told an unpleasant story. The Orioles didn’t gain any momentum from back-to-back wins the past two nights. Such a thing doesn’t exist in baseball. The guy holding the ball sets the tone.

Povich kept the Reds scoreless for two innings and watched his start disintegrate, surrendering a career-high three home runs and tying his career high with five walks in 3 1/3. One of the weakest offensive teams in the majors statistically was giving him the business.

Manager Brandon Hyde removed Povich after seven runs scored and the Orioles lost 8-3 before an announced sellout crowd of 42,587 at Camden Yards that voiced its agitation on a few occasions.

Heston Kjerstad homered again, following Sánchez’s leadoff single off Scott Barlow in the eighth with a 407-footer to center field at 105.9 mph.

The only update today on Orioles starter Grayson Rodriguez is that he’s seeking other opinions after undergoing an MRI on his sore right shoulder.

Rodriguez’s bullpen session was canceled and he had imaging done yesterday after waking up this week with the discomfort. He’s on the injured list with inflammation in his elbow/triceps.

“We got the results back,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “We’re gonna get some opinions on it, so there’s really nothing to report at this time. We’re gathering information from second opinions from other doctors and we’ll have more to give you sometime next week when all that stuff comes back.”

Brandon Young will fill a hole in the rotation on Saturday in his major league debut. He replaces Zach Eflin, who’s on the injured list with a right lat strain.

Young, the organization’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year last season, signed as an undrafted free agent in 2020. The draft was shortened to five rounds because of the pandemic.

The Orioles begin a three-game series against the Reds tonight with a lineup that has Adley Rutschman leading off, Gunnar Henderson batting second and Cedric Mullins fifth.

Tyler O’Neill missed the last two games with neck discomfort but he’s in right field tonight and batting third.

Jordan Westburg is at third base. He’s in an 0-for-24 slump.

Gary Sánchez is catching. Heston Kjerstad is in left field and Jorge Mateo is at second. Jackson Holliday goes to the bench.

Mullins is 7-for-14 with runners in scoring position. The rest of the team is 22-for-103 (.214).

DENVER – A mid-April snowstorm in the Rocky Mountains has postponed the Nationals’ series opener tonight and will create an Easter Sunday doubleheader at Coors Field.

The Rockies officially postponed tonight’s game about seven hours prior to scheduled first pitch, recognizing there was no real hope of playing due to the snow that began falling in the region this morning and is expected to continue through the night.

And with temperatures still expected in the low 40s on Saturday, they opted not to schedule the makeup game until Sunday, when the forecast is much more favorable, with temperatures in the 60s.

First pitch for Saturday’s game actually has been pushed back an hour, to 4:10 p.m. Eastern, to give crews enough time to prep the ballpark for play. Sunday’s 3:10 p.m. Eastern game remains as scheduled, with the makeup game now scheduled for 8:10 p.m. Eastern.

All games will continue to be broadcast on MASN.

Tonight’s game will be made up as part of a split doubleheader on Sunday, April 20 at 1:10 p.m. and 6:10 p.m.
Saturday’s game has also been moved to 2:10 p.m.

DENVER – The Colorado Rockies vs. Washington Nationals game originally scheduled for tonight at 6:40 p.m. MT has been postponed due to inclement weather. The game has been rescheduled for 6:10 p.m. this Sunday, April 20 as the second game of a split doubleheader, with Sunday’s 1:10 p.m. first pitch to be played as scheduled. Separate tickets will be required for each game. Additionally, Saturday’s first pitch has been moved back one hour from 1:10 p.m. to 2:10 p.m. The Rockies will unveil their City Connect 2.0 uniforms during the 6:10 p.m. game on Sunday, April 20.

Tickets from tonight’s game (dated April 18) are valid for the April 20, 6:10 p.m. game only. Ticket holders who purchased directly from the Colorado Rockies will be contacted via email with additional details. If ticket holders cannot attend the April 20, 6:10 p.m. game, fans will be presented options based upon their purchase methods. In all cases, tickets are good for the makeup game or fans must exercise an online/credit/refund option prior to the first pitch of the rescheduled game.

Complimentary tickets have a value of zero dollars and therefore may not be refunded or exchanged. Discounted tickets are only valid for the amount paid to the Rockies and are subject to any constraints applicable to the original sale.

Tickets purchased via the secondary market for the April 18 game will only be valid for the rescheduled game. Secondary market customers that cannot attend the rescheduled date should contact the Customer Service Department from which the purchase was made. Secondary market tickets are not valid for exchange at Coors Field or the Rockies Dugout Stores.

Brandon Young has joined the Orioles’ taxi squad and will make his major league debut by starting Saturday afternoon against the Reds at Camden Yards.

Young has allowed five earned runs in 16 1/3 innings with Triple-A Norfolk. MLB Pipeline rates him as the No. 19 prospect in the system.

The Orioles transferred Young to High-A Aberdeen earlier this week before announcing today’s move. They need a fifth starter Saturday and he became the obvious choice.

A corresponding move is pending to create room on the 26-man roster.

Cade Povich is preparing for his fourth start tonight after allowing six earned runs and 24 hits in 15 innings. Left-handed hitters are slashing .250/.286/.500 against Povich and right-handers are batting .396/.418/.491.