Minor League Baseball

Washington Nationals Top Prospect Andry Lara Notches Strikeout in MLB Debut

Right-handed pitcher Andry Lara, the No. 16 prospect in the Washington Nationals' farm system, tossed 3.0 scoreless innings against the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday.
Sam Connon|
Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals relief pitcher Andry Lara (72) throws a pitch against the Detroit Tigers during the seventh inning at Nationals Park.
Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Nationals relief pitcher Andry Lara (72) throws a pitch against the Detroit Tigers during the seventh inning at Nationals Park. | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

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Washington Nationals

The front end of Wednesday's doubleheader against the Detroit Tigers couldn't have gone much worse for the Washington Nationals.

Detroit racked up six runs in the first inning alone, then built out a 10-0 lead midway through the fourth. It was an 11-2 ballgame by the time the seventh frame rolled around, and Washington just needed to get out of the contest while burning as few pitchers as possible.

That's when the Nationals called upon Andry Lara, 22-year-old righty who was making his MLB debut. A starting pitcher by trade, the No. 16 prospect in Washington's farm system had no problem eating innings down the stretch, to say nothing of his ability to limit any additional damage.

Lara struck out the first batter he faced en route to 3.0 scoreless innings of action. He allowed one hit and zero walks with four strikeouts, providing a singular bright spot to the Nationals in their nine-run loss.

Lara has made 88 starts and three relief appearances since joining the Nationals' organization as a teenager in 2021. He is 23-35 with a 4.64 ERA, 1.337 WHIP and 8.3 strikeouts per nine innings in his minor league career.

With one major league outing now under his belt, Lara could be used in any number of roles moving forward. DJ Herz and Josiah Gray are still recovering from Tommy John surgery, after all, while relievers Andrew Chafin, Derek Law and Mason Thompson are on the injured list as well.

Game two between the Nationals and Tigers is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. ET.

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Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon is a staff writer for “Minor League Baseball on SI’’ and other "On SI'' baseball sites. He previously covered UCLA Athletics for “UCLA on SI’’ and won awards from the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon also wrote for “New England Patriots on SI’’ and was on the Patriots and Boston Red Sox beats at Prime Time Sports Talk. Follow Sam on Twitter @SamConnon.

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