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Nats Win, But Perhaps Lose, 5-0

But in this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death, taxes, and the suff’ring of injury by a base-ball pitcher in Washington — Benjamin Franklin, April 31, 1791 (citation needed)

The Ides of March came a day early for Cade Cavalli, as the 24-y.o. exited yesterday’s game with an apparent elbow injury in the third inning.

It was his 43rd pitch on what was an otherwise strong outing—no hits, no runs, one walk, one strikeout—that sailed up and away from Brandon Nimmo, who indicated to Keibert Ruiz almost immediately that Cavalli was doing the dreaded elbow shake.

Cavalli is expected to have an MRI today prior to going into witness protection to determine the extent or cause of the injury.

Despite another roster cutdown that saw RHP Jake Irvin and LHP Matt Cronin optioned to Rochester, and RHP Jackson Rutledge optioned to Harrisburg (reminder: that a player or pitcher is optioned to a given roster does not necessarily mean that is where he will begin the season), several watchlist players were inserted into Washington’s 5-0 win yesterday:

  • RHP Thad Ward relieved Cavalli to finish the 3rd, then pitched two more scoreless innings to pick up the “W.” He allowed two hits, no walks, and struck out two while throwing 41 pitches, 30 for strikes
  • Elijah Green followed Victor Robles in CF and went 1-for-2 with an RBI but was caught stealing
  • Leandro Emiliani subbed for Matt Adams at 1B. He singled and scored a run in the 9th
  • Jeter Downs replaced C.J. Abrams at SS. He struck out in the 7th and got hit by a pitch and scored a run in the 9th
  • Daylen Lile followed Alex Call in LF. He lined out in the 7th and connected for an RBI single in the 9th
  • Trey Lipscomb replaced Michael Chavis at 3B. He drove in the last two runs with a one-out single in the 9th
  • Jacob Young followed Stone “Action News” Garrett in RF and flew out in the 9th
  • T.J. White pinch-hit for DH Corey Dickerson and struck out to end the 8th
  • Winder Diaz played the 9th inning at 2B, but had no defensive chances

The Nats remain on the road as they visit the Marlins this afternoon in Jupiter. LHP Patrick Corbin is expected to make his fourth spring start. The game can be heard on MLB Audio with the Miami radio team on the call.

24 Commments

  1. OK, Rutledge is optioned to AA. He may open the season there or in A+. If the former, have the Nats seen enough to think he might be ready sometime late in 2024? The progression would be to open in AA and, if successful, to advance to AAA by mid-season. In 2024, he would open in AAA, then join the Nats rotation mid-season. If he opens 2023 in A+, then the Nats think he will be ready no sooner than 2025.

    1. Frankly, the Nats probably will be close to giving up on Rutledge by 2025 if he hasn’t made it by then. That’s six years after being a collegiate draftee. He’s still got a world of “potential,” but he’s yet to figure out how to put it all together. So far, the results haven’t come close to matching the talent. Our friend FredMD still has great hope for Rutledge. I hope he’s right.

    2. I just read Martinez’s comment that the Nats think Rutledge is ready for AA. That could mean that we will see him in a Nats uni in 2024.

    3. They say hope springs eternal but
      Ricardo Mendez will ever break the glass ceiling at Wilmington z high A and bump up to Harrisburg so Delino can use his speed in his managing style .
      Wow . Just day dreaming of Grissom and Delino speeding around the bases for Felipe in Expo days long gone by … lol..

    4. Can the peanut gallery here start discussing the stud amateur arms available to draft besides the kid out of Tennessee with major gas ?
      Cole Henry still on the collective wait and see shelf too .
      Welll at least A Lara is healthy along with Cuevas

  2. And down goes Cavalli. Sigh. That guy already seems to be cursed. I sure would like to see them give Thad Ward a look in the rotation. Espino or Peralta would just be a placeholder. I imagine that Irvin will get a big-league look at some point in 2023, and we sure hope that Joan Adon will still amount to something. What they did to him last season was bizarre.

    1. I’d agree that Ward is an option to start, start stretching him out, him being a Rule 5ver limits things.

      nice to see Green getting some looks. while he may have contact issues he does seem to have pretty good plate dicipline

      cross your fingers on Cade, he seems to have put in the work and hopefully he’ll catch a break

    2. went back and watched Ward, pretty sharp outing. couple nice defensive plays (one by him) helped but he got it up to 93-94 and make quite a few good pitches.

      I read where Davey mentioned Kuhl as the first option, that makes sense from an experience standpoint. if it doesn’t work out I’d be comfortable with a Thaddeus in the rotation

      1. That would be the Chad Kuhl of the 8.59 spring ERA, 7 ER in 7.1 IP? YIKES. He’s allowed nine hits, including two homers.

        Kuhl was somewhat decent in his Pirate years. Maybe he would give them a slightly better chance to win than some of the younger guys, but no guarantees.

        1. Davey apparently mentioning Adon, Espino, and Abbott as other starter possibilities beyond Kuhl, but not Ward. Hmm. Yet Ward is already on the 40-man and has to be kept on the MLB roster. Adon and Abbott have already been optioned, and amazingly, Espino still has two options left as well even though he’s 36! Kuhl isn’t on the 40-man.

  3. March is still the cruelest month in baseball as the ramping up of pitching always breaks a lot of elbows, shoulders, etc.

    1. listening to Keith Hernandez yesterday, he recalled how he always felt for pitchers, the entire career rests on the health of their one best arm. you could hear his compassion for Cavalli, opponent or not.

    2. March has six planets in action in the grand scheme of cosmos action
      Mats in Gemini
      Saturn in Pieces
      Ascension fatigue
      Meanwhile draft heavy pitching Nats in June
      I’d still sign Chris Archer for the Hickey reunion

      1. Archer to the Bucs for Glasnow, Meadows and Baz ranks up there with Frank Robinson for Milt Pappas.

        bad trades are part of baseball, alas so are arm injuries to pitchers

  4. With Cavalli injured and Irvin and Cronin sent down, does that leave Ward and Downs as the only watchlisters still in big league camp?

    Sigh… at least this will make watching the minors more interesting.

      2. Fred MD is Chipotle the official nachos maker of concession food at tournament ??
        Listen to the Dr ( Doobie Bros ).
        Or in the case of pitching injuries
        Life Rolls on ( Journey Freedom LP)

  5. It is utterly maddening how many pitchers in this org. have blown out their arm.

    I’m too lazy to look, but I’m almost positive every single high end arm we’ve drafted the last 12 years had a major injury of some sort: Strasburg, Zimmerman, Giolito, Fedde, Henry, Romero, Cavalli just off the top of my head.

    Hell even guys we’ve drafted and traded away have issues immediately after arriving to their new team (Dunning Luzardo)

    I love Rizzo, but heads needs to roll. It’s incompetence on so many levels

    2. It happens in every organization. I remember not so long ago when some folks were calling for pitchers to get TJ surgery preemptively. Pitching in baseball is strongly correlated with injury.

      There may well be other reasons to call for heads to roll, but this ain’t one

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