Nationals Make Notable Roster Move Ahead of Series Finale With Diamondbacks

The Washington Washington secured a series victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks with their 6-1 win on Saturday.

They have now won three out of their last four series, as two came against first-place teams and all three were against clubs with a winning record. The Nationals continue to stay in the NL Wild Card race, which will make things interesting this summer as the organization gets prepared for their first trade deadline at the start of August.

In the meantime, Washington continues to make some tweaks to their major league roster. And ahead of their finale against the Diamondbacks, Jessica Camerato of MLB.com reported that right-handed pitcher Riley Cornelio was recalled from Triple-A Rochester. That was the corresponding move after they optioned right-handed reliever Cole Henry to Rochester following Saturday's contest.

Riley Cornelio Gets Another Chance in MLB

Washington Nationals pitcher Riley Cornelio | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

The first taste of the bigs for Cornelio didn't go well. In his lone outing on April 24 following his callup, he allowed two earned runs in his two innings of work. He also walked four batters and only struck out one, which was a sign that the lights might have been a bit too bright for the youngster.

But Washington is giving Cornelio another opportunity to show what he can do in the majors. He's put together a solid career in the minor leagues with a cumulative ERA of 4.51 across 86 appearances (83 starts), so there is confidence that he can become an effective arm for the Nationals at some point.

Cole Henry Struggles in His Return

Washington Nationals pitcher Cole Henry | Brad Mills-Imagn Images

The most notable part of this roster shuffle is the fact that Henry is getting sent down to Rochester. There was hope that he would have been able to turn his season around after he was placed on the injured list with a right rotator cuff strain back on April 13. But after just three appearances since returning from injury, he's been sent down the minors.

That is an interesting decision. He's allowed three earned runs across five innings pitched with five strikeouts and two walks, but two of those outings were scoreless ones, including the one against Arizona on Friday where he threw two shutout innings.

Washington hasn't shied away from turning their bullpen over, especially because they have so many relievers with options remaining. That previously happened with left-hander PJ Poulin despite his strong season so far.

Still, it's safe to say that Henry has been a bit underwhelming this year, as he owns an ERA of 6.00 across his 10 appearances. Getting some time down in Triple-A will hopefully allow him to get things back on track.

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