Nationals Option Left-Hander Back to Minors After He Secured Win on Sunday
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The Washington Nationals won the finale of their three-game series against the San Francisco Giants on Sunday.
After losing the first two contests of that set, winning the final game could provide a boost for this young team as they get ready to take on the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves starting Monday. And in the midst of some major pitching issues, it was a welcome sight to see the Nationals throw a shutout.
A huge part of the success Washington's pitching staff had on Sunday was due to Andrew Alvarez. The left-hander was recalled ahead of the finale, and after replacing Miles Mikolas, Alvarez impressed once again by throwing 4 1/3 scoreless innings. But the feel-good story was short-lived, as the Nationals announced they optioned him back to Triple-A Rochester following his outing.
Andrew Alvarez Gets Sent Back Down to Minors
While this move might be confusing on the surface since he performed so well, it seems like the Nationals still view him as a starting pitcher. So by sending him back down to Rochester, that opens up a spot in their bullpen for a reliever ahead of their series against the Braves and gets Alvarez back on schedule as a starter.
Who Washington is aiming to callup isn't clear at the time of writing. Paxton Schultz was optioned to Triple-A before the finale against San Francisco, and Alvarez was recalled as the corresponding move. Schultz could be brought back, but a fresher arm might also be used to begin the Atlanta set.
Despite the fact that he was sent back down, Alvarez should be feeling positive about everything. He once again performed well in a major league outing. And after coming out of the bullpen this time around, he has given the Nationals options for how they might use him going forward.
Can Andrew Alvarez Crack the Nationals Rotation This Season?
The starting unit has underperformed compared to expectations thus far. Ace Cade Cavalli has not performed in that manner, and the veteran additions of Zack Littell and Miles Mikolas have also struggled. Because of that, Washington might rethink how their rotation is set up at some point this season. And if that's the case, there's a good chance Alvarez gets the first crack at a spot.
He impressed in his five starts last year with a 2.31 ERA. And after throwing 4 1/3 scoreless innings on Sunday, there's no question he has caught the eye of the decision makers within the organization. Whether or not he remains a starter long-term will be interesting to see. But based on how he's performed in The Show through six career outings, it looks like he can be a weapon for the Nationals no matter if he's a starter or a reliever.
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Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he worked at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad became the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continued to cover Penn State athletics. Currently, Brad is the Publisher for Washington Nationals On SI and covers multiple teams across the On SI network. He is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, where he and his co-host discuss topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai