Nationals Notes: Red-Hot Offense, Triple-A Success, Injury Updates

Some notes on what is taking place for the Washington Nationals.

Washington Nationals center fielder Jacob Young | Brad Mills-Imagn Images

The Washington Nationals finally get a day off after a stretch of 16 consecutive games.

It's hard to say what took place during that period was anything but a success, as they returned home with a 29-28 record after taking two out of three from first-place teams -- the Atlanta Braves and the Cleveland Guardians -- in back-to-back series.

What's transpired on the major league diamond has started to catch the attention of the national media since the Nationals have a red-hot offense that has scored the most runs in Major League Baseball. But there has also been some notable success taking place at Triple-A Rochester during this time, and it seems like Washington is on the verge of getting back some key pitchers, as well.

Nationals Offense Continues to Impress

Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood | David Dermer-Imagn Images

306 runs scored. 288 RBIs. 72 home runs. And a collective slash line of .245/.324/.420.

Almost nobody would have predicted that the Nationals would be top 10 in all those categories at this stage of the season. And just when it seems like they might be cooling off, the lineup turns around and has another offensive explosion that decimates an opposing pitching staff.

Manager Blake Butera doesn't think this output will slow down anytime soon, either, since he believes the infrastructure in place will keep putting his players in position to succeed. Whether or not that's the case remains to be seen, but this offense has been red-hot for two months and they continue to be impressive.

Triple-A Rochester Has Won 10 Games in a Row

Dark blue Washington Nationals hat on top of a brown mitt | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Success on the MLB diamond isn't the only thing that has taken place for this franchise. Down on the farm, Triple-A Rochester has found a groove. With their victory on Wednesday, they have now won 10 games in a row. That is the first time they've achieved that feat since 1992.

During this streak, which began on May 15, Rochester has scored 69 runs and has held their opponents to just 29. It's been an impressive stretch for Washington's top affiliate, and with seven of their top 30 prospects currently competing at this level, it's a good sign that there is plenty of talent in the pipeline waiting for their opportunity in The Show.

Nationals Pitchers Work Towards Their Returns

Washington Nationals pitcher DJ Herz | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

The Nationals lost one of their starting pitchers when they had to place Jake Irvin on the 15-day injured list due to a right shoulder strain on May 24. However, it seems like right-handed reliever Cole Henry could be making his way back to the big league roster based on PJ Poulin getting optioned after the finale against the Guardians on Wednesday.

But Washington is inching closer to getting some other injured pitchers back, too, as the likes of DJ Herz, Trevor Williams and Josiah Gray continue to go through their throwing progressions that should have them ready to pitch at some point this season.

The latest update on Herz, per the team, is that he has started throwing 20-plus pitches in live batting practice settings. That is an important step for the left-hander, and there is hope that he'll be ready to go in the second half of the campaign. Williams is ahead of Herz when it comes to the volume of pitches he's throwing, as he is up to 30 during his own live batting practice sessions.

Gray is further behind. Diagnosed with a right flexor strain that is major cause for concern based on his previous Tommy John surgery, he began to throw in his throwing progression, but it doesn't seem like he's facing live hitters yet. Still, things are positive for the right-hander. There have been no setbacks and he's expected to return at some point this season, too.