The beleaguered Nationals pitching staff is about to see a second MLB debut of the month.
Nats manager Dave Martinez revealed Monday night that the team will fill its TBD for Tuesday’s game by calling up RHP Jackson Tetrault to make his first career appearance.
Tetrault, 26, was Triple-A Rochester’s scheduled starter for Tuesday’s game, so he will slot in on normal rest. The 2017 seventh-round pick has a 4.19 ERA in 12 starts for the Red Wings this season, his first extended action in Triple-A after an 11-inning cameo in 2020.
He is not on the 40-man roster, so the Nationals will have to make a move there to accommodate him as well – although Martinez said that after Monday ended up as a bullpen game, the Nats could make two pitching moves (they still have to officially place Stephen Strasburg on the IL) ahead of the game.
Tetrault is the second Nat to make his MLB debut as a starter in two weeks, following lefty Evan Lee, whose first Major League action came June 1 against the Mets. Lee has pitched twice in relief since, but could end up back in the rotation thanks to the injury to Strasburg and Joan Adon’s demotion.
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Martinez now has an extra day to consider a replacement for Adon, however, as a rain delay right before first pitch Monday led to scheduled starter Josiah Gray being scratched. The Nationals used five pitchers in a bullpen day instead – Erasmo Ramirez started and tossed three innings – and Gray, who said he would treat Monday as a between-starts throw day, will be assessed Tuesday to see when he can make his next outing.
The Nationals have Erick Fedde lined up for Wednesday’s series finale in Atlanta, and TBD beyond then. Patrick Corbin and Paolo Espino, the other two current starters in the rotation, pitched Saturday and Sunday.
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