Nationals Reportedly Recalling Andrew Alvarez After Optioning Recent Addition
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The Washington Nationals did not have a good showing in their finale against the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday, but they still were able to come away with a series victory to get their stretch of 16 consecutive games off to a solid start.
Pitching was an issue for the Nationals during this set. While the starting pitchers were the main problem -- especially in the finale two contests -- recent waiver claim Zak Kent also gave up four earned runs across his two appearances. And now, he will spend some time with Triple-A Rochester.
According to Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic, Washington decided to option Kent following Thursday's contest. The corresponding move will be to recall left-handed pitcher Andrew Alvarez, which will be his second stint with the big league club this year.
Nationals Upgrade Their Pitching Staff Before Homestand
It will be interesting to see how Alvarez is utilized this time around. With Zack Littell scheduled to start against the Baltimore Orioles on Friday, the Nationals might utilize Alvarez as the opener of that game since Littell has come in behind an opener in each of his last two outings.
However, that was not how Washington used Alvarez during his lone MLB appearance on April 19 earlier this season. On that day, he came in after Miles Mikolas and pitched 4 1/3 innings in relief. Alvarez was credited with the win after he didn't allow a run and struck out five with no walks issued.
With Alvarez's scheduled Triple-A start getting skipped on Thursday in preparation of this roster move, it seems likely that the left-hander will either start the game on Friday before making way for Littell or he will come in after the veteran righty and attempt to finish the contest.
Expect More Roster Moves to Take Place in Coming Days
The callup of Alvarez probably won't be the only roster move that takes place in the coming days. With 13 consecutive games still to come, the Nationals will likely go through multiple shuffles of their pitching staff as they attempt to keep fresh arms in their unit.
Who Washington calls upon will be intriguing. Riley Cornelio could get another crack at The Show despite his tough MLB debut. Luis Perales could also be a candidate for his major league debut if the staff feels like he is ready from a mental and physical standpoint. Andre Granillo might be recalled. Zach Penrod could get a look. And even Andry Lara is a possibility for a promotion.
Regardless of who the Nationals might have circled for their next callup, fans should expect there to be more roster moves made in the near future.
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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