Nationals Give Mitchell Parker Another Chance as They Recall Him From Minors

The Washington Nationals have called up Mitchell Parker.

Washington Nationals pitcher Mitchell Parker | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

It was reported that Mitchell Parker was part of the Washington Nationals' taxi squad on Monday. The expectation was that he would be recalled and join the MLB roster on Tuesday.

The Nationals made it official. Per an announcement by the team, they revealed that the left-hander is getting another opportunity in the majors after he was optioned to Triple-A Rochester during spring training.

Parker is the corresponding move for right-hander Jackson Rutledge getting optioned back to the minors following a disastrous performance against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday where he allowed seven earned runs in just 1 1/3 innings pitched. But with Parker back with the big league squad, it's unclear what his long-term role is going to be in Washington.

Mitchell Parker Expected to Piggyback Miles Mikolas on Tuesday

Washington Nationals pitcher Mitchell Parker | John Jones-Imagn Images

The expectation is Parker is going to be used in a piggyback role whenever scheduled starter Miles Mikolas is pulled from the game on Tuesday. It has not been a good start to the season for Mikolas, as the veteran right-hander has an 0-3 record and a 12.41 ERA across his three outings. The Nationals pulled him after three innings in his most recent start on April 8, and they could do that again with Parker now on the roster.

While the piggyback strategy has not been confirmed by Washington, it's likely that's how Parker is going to be utilized. But how long he remains on the roster and how he'll be deployed going forward will be determined by how he performs during his appearance against Pittsburgh.

Will Nationals Convert Mitchell Parker to Reliever?

Washington Nationals pitcher Mitchell Parker | Brad Mills-Imagn Images

If Parker performs well on Tuesday, it will be interesting to see if the Nationals decide to convert him into a reliever. With Ken Waldichuk likely needing Tommy John surgery, there aren't ton of long relief options in the organization when it comes to lefties.

Parker could fit that role. While he's come up the ranks as a starting pitcher and that's how he's primarily been used in the majors, he's also coming off a horrendous year and hasn't performed well in Triple-A this season with 6.08 ERA across his three starts. But because he's been a starter, he could be used to pitch multiple innings coming out of the bullpen as needed.

With other rotation options the Nationals can choose from like Andrew Alvarez and Luis Perales if they need to replace anyone, it's not a given that Parker is going to be a long-term starter with this current regime in charge.

The first step when it comes to Parker's MLB future is pitching well on Tuesday. If he does that, then there's a chance he could be moved into the bullpen as his role going forward.