The Rotation (2026)

[imref]

Palmquist opening for Littell today.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Griffin's last start before the ASB.  Need him to go deep again.

Higher leverage relievers, Beeter, Poulin, Ribalta, as well as Lord (the best multi-ining guy), should all be available. Palmquist and Lawrence could pick up middle innings when losing. Probably avoid Cornelio and Krook if  they can.

[welch]

Cornelio and Krook have not looked like major leaguers.

[imref]

Cornelio and Krook have not looked like major leaguers.

Cornelio looked fine last night.

[Slateman]

Meh, no one in the bullpen looks like a major leaguer.

[imref]

Zuck says Palmquist is opening for Littell on Friday vs Ryan Weathers

Listed remaining probables are Mikolas on Saturday vs Schlitter, and TBD vs Will Warren

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Is Cavalli still suspended Sunday?

[imref]

Is Cavalli still suspended Sunday?

i think so.

[Slateman]

No, hes not. He can start Sunday

[JCA-CrystalCity]

No, hes not. He can start Sunday

If 7/6 counts as the first suspended game, the the 3 games with the Astros plus the 1st 2 games with the NYY would be the 5 game suspension.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Sam Sallick makes a case for Jackson Kent replacing Littell or  Mikolas.

https://www.federalbaseball.com/washington-nationals-prospects/92774/jackson-kent-deserves-crack-washington-nationals-rotation

[imref]

Yean opening for Alvarez tonight vs Max

[SkinsNatFan21RIP]

Yean opening for Alvarez tonight vs Max

I really wish they would stop doing this. I can't stand this opener crap.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I really wish they would stop doing this. I can't stand this opener crap.

IDK. I get it, think it will help Alvarez, but Yean's one of the two guys in the bullpen circle of trust to come in with guys on and late.  They stayed away from Ribalta in the blow up 9th yesterday, so I assume  the other circle of trust guy will be available tonight, but I also want to avoid Beeter (outside  the circle but asking to be let in) because he's  pitched 2 days in a row. Yesterday was very stressful.

Figure Cornelio is not available after lots of work yesterday (42 pitches). Palmquist is  the only other guy with 2 days off, and everyone else pitched yesterday. I  don't like leaving the bullpen unrested as well as lousy. I could even see Cornelio being optioned out, especially if they think Irvin can pick up the start the next time Alvarez is due to pitch.

[welch]

IDK. I get it, think it will help Alvarez, but Yean's one of the two guys in the bullpen circle of trust to come in with guys on and late.  They stayed away from Ribalta in the blow up 9th yesterday, so I assume  the other circle of trust guy will be available tonight, but I also want to avoid Beeter (outside  the circle but asking to be let in) because he's  pitched 2 days in a row. Yesterday was very stressful.

Figure Cornelio is not available after lots of work yesterday (42 pitches). Palmquist is  the only other guy with 2 days off, and everyone else pitched yesterday. I  don't like leaving the bullpen unrested as well as lousy. I could even see Cornelio being optioned out, especially if they think Irvin can pick up the start the next time Alvarez is due to pitch.

I agree about Yean and Ribalta. Save them for later. Beeter, who is wobbly, should rest. But let Alvarez continue to start when Irvin is back. Then ridd the team of Mikolas or Littell, or both.

[Slateman]

Need Brad Lord back. Need to trade for a closer

[imref]

no official starter listed for tomorrow, looks like irvin will be back.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

no official starter listed for tomorrow, looks like irvin will be back.

it's Griffin's turn.

[welch]

Spencer Nussbaum thinks that help is near: article about Luis Perales and Jackson Kent.

Looking for hope in Nationals’ near future? Pitching help should be on the way

So, back to the two farmhands who not only look like big-league starters but, in the eyes of multiple people in the organization, could hold their own in the majors right now.

Neither Perales nor Kent is expected in the clubhouse for Friday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds. Neither, though, is far off barring an unforeseen scenario, according to multiple people within the organization who spoke on the condition of anonymity because plans are subject to change.

Perales has some of the nastiest pitches of any starter in the upper minor leagues, but there was more to refine. The Nationals put two dummies in the batter’s box during bullpens, so he thought to attack at the top or bottom of the zone. They changed the size of the strike zone (outlined with strings) in those same bullpens so he got a better sense of what a good pitch near the bottom or top of the strike zone looked like. The Nationals have also sharpened his routine and helped him become more athletic, allowing him to make better physical adjustments pitch to pitch. Now, on days where he doesn’t feel his best, he can still locate as needed.

It’s probably malpractice that it’s taken this long to mention his splitter. In the lower levels, he overpowered hitters with velocity. In July, he used what several people in the organization called his “special” pitch 39 percent of the time. He carried a 1.46 ERA while doing so.

The arsenal is far from perfect. He couldn’t carry his velocity late into a start Thursday and got tagged for five earned runs. The walk rate could improve with maturity. And still, the top-line metrics suggest he might be OK: Perales is carrying a 3.76 ERA in 88 2/3 innings this year.

[welch]

Kent

Kent pitches so much like a big-league starter that it is a curiosity why he is not up in Washington yet. The cliches that stick to those who last in this league — elite pitchability, competitiveness, self-starter traits and such — especially apply to the 2024 fourth-rounder.

He could still grow in Rochester. Butera said the Rays often practiced patience with their minor-league pitchers and were often rewarded. For Kent, the issue is clear: His velocity spike from earlier this year hasn’t held, at least not to the degree it could have.

After touching 95 mph with some regularity earlier this season, Kent has hit that mark just twice in his last five starts. While fastball velocity is not everything — though it can occasionally feel that way for an organization that previously struggled to develop it — it is a bellwether for his production. When he throws that pitch harder, everything else is sharper.

There is a plan to get him to the majors, to shrink the gap between levels.

One part of the plan seems to have Kent throwing on a five-day cycle, same as the Nats rotation.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7498106/2026/08/07/looking-for-hope-in-nationals-near-future-pitching-help-should-be-on-the-way/

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Nusbaum probably has better judgement than me, but with Perales I see < 1 K an inning, nearly 5 BBs/9, a high HR rate, and FIP near 5. Maybe I'm too much of a defense independent pitching guy, but all of those are big steps back from pre-injury Perales. Anything positive in ERA is BABIP  driven. Velocity is all the way back, also a positive, but he's not drawing chase.

As for Kent, I hope they hold off. The WC chase is kaput, so it's entirely a development thing. I think it will be hurt if he's added to the 40 man before the lockout, and there's no rush if he's working on recovering velo.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

the Perales puff piece sounds like a planted story because they look like idiots for dealing Jake  Bennett.

[Slateman]

the Perales puff piece sounds like a planted story because they look like idiots for dealing Jake  Bennett.

Oh, are we channeling our inner PB69 today?

Perales has great stuff. Its possible that they're looking at it and looking at the middling to weak contact that opposing batters are making and saying he is getting close.

The problem with Jackson Kent is that none of his pitches look particularly good. Maybe he just becomes a guy who has a huge selection and that's how he gets by, but Kent is a guy I think would make a better reliever than starter. Though, to be fair, the same could have been said for Andrew Alvarez so who knows.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Well, if that's what they are looking for from Perales, then they are looking for someone other than the guy he was in the Red Sox system. The jump in the BB rate might be just the normal control issues after TJS, but the declining k rate is concerning. Perales is also out off options, cutting back on his development and recovery time.

[Slateman]

The other consideration about calling them up is what do you do if someone else is injured in the rotation?