Nationals Reportedly Will Call Up Star Minor Leaguer for His MLB Debut
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The Washington Nationals are searching for answers in their pitching staff.
Following an offseason that saw the front office sign veterans to short-term deals, make waiver claims and add other pitchers through minor league contracts, it's clear the Nationals are lacking high-end arms at the MLB level. But thankfully for them, they have options to choose from on their Triple-A roster.
Andrew Alvarez got the first crack at things when he was recalled ahead of the finale against the San Francisco Giants on April 19. And now, according to Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic, right-handed pitcher Riley Cornelio is set to be called up for his MLB debut.
Nationals Set to Give Riley Cornelio His First Chance in The Show
Cornelio was a seventh-round pick of Washington back in 2022. He was eligible for the Rule 5 draft this offseason, but the Nationals moved him to their 40-man roster to protect him from being selected. That was an indication the new regime was fond of the 26-year-old. And after he threw well during spring training with just one earned run allowed across five innings pitched over two starts with seven strikeouts and no walks, it became clear that he was someone to keep an eye on for a potential promotion at some point this season.
While the roster move has not been made official just yet, Cornelio seems to be in line for his first career MLB appearance at some point during the upcoming three-game set against the Chicago White Sox. However, it's not clear exactly what his role is going to be with the big league squad.
How Riley Cornelio Will Be Used Is Unclear
Cornelio has been impressive during his minor league career. Across 79 outings (78 starts), he has posted a 4.36 ERA with 362 strikeouts and 177 walks in 371 1/3 innings pitched. But what makes the right-hander intriguing is that has has continued to improve the past two seasons, including the 2.45 ERA mark he has across four starts with Triple-A Rochester this year.
Based on how Washington has used him so far, adding him to the starting unit seems like what they would do. However, when it's been Miles Mikolas' turn in the rotation -- which is set to occur on Friday -- the Nationals have opted to use openers with a piggyback pitcher behind him. That's how they used Alvarez when he was recalled this past Sunday, and that might be how they deploy Cornelio.
No matter how the righty is used, though, this will be a debut worth watching. Cornelio has turned himself into one of the more intriguing arms Washington has in Triple-A. And with a good showing whenever he makes his appearance, he could be given more opportunities in The Show.
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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