Nationals Officially Call Up Luis Perales, Optioned Veteran as Corresponding Move

The Washington Nationals made things official.

After there were multiple reports on Tuesday night that stated the Nationals were getting set to promote right-handed pitching prospect Luis Perales for his major league debut, the team formally announced that the move had been made.

To make room on the active roster for Perales, Washington designated veteran right-handed pitcher Jake Bird for assignment. That is notable in its own right since he was acquired from the New York Yankees as part of the Luis Garcia Jr. trade package.

When it comes to the promotion of Perales, he seems to be in line to be used on Wednesday against the Colorado Rockies.

Luis Perales Will Be Used Out of Bullpen to Begin MLB Career

Washington Nationals pitcher Luis Perales | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The expectation is that Perales is going to be used as a reliever now that he's been called up. For those who have been following what has taken place on the Nationals' farm, that shouldn't be too big of a surprise. Washington seemingly was prepping him for this role change since his last three appearances with Triple-A Rochester all came out of the bullpen.

In that capacity, he has thrived. Perales hasn't allowed a single run across six innings pitched. He's only given up two hits, and he's struck out 12 batters while issuing just two walks. His dominance also earned him Prospect of the Week honors ahead of this promotion, as it appears like the high-ceiling flamethrower is ready to make an impact at the big league level.

Whether or not the bullpen is Perales' long-term home isn't clear. The Nationals reportedly still view him as a starting pitcher, but they feel like using him as a reliever is the best thing for his development at this stage of his career.

Jake Bird Gets Optioned to Triple-A Rochester

Washington Nationals pitcher Jake Bird | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

For as exciting as the promotion of Perales is, it's also disappointing that Bird had to be optioned.

Ahead of this year's trade deadline, it was made clear that president of baseball operations Paul Toboni was aiming to acquire established long-term bullpen help. Bird fit that bill as someone with multiple seasons of club control remaining and over 200 major league appearances to his name.

There's no doubting the stuff that the 30-year-old possesses. But ever since he was traded by the Colorado Rockies to the Yankees in 2025, he has struggled. While Bird wasn't horrible for Washington with a 3.24 ERA across eight appearances, he also wasn't someone who turned into a trustable high-leverage reliever, either.

Still, he struck out 10 batters across 8 1/3 innings pitched while walking just two. And he also held opponents to a batting average against of .194, which shows that Bird still has promise as someone who can be a key figure in this bullpen going forward.

But, for now, he'll get some time down in Rochester to continue working on things as Perales makes his long-awaited big league debut.

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