Trop’s Hoodie:
Mitchell Parker allowed three singles and runs in the first inning of his return to action on June 22 in Denver, Colorado, then gave up a walk, a single and a three-run homer with one out on an 89.4 mph fastball over the high middle of the zone that traveled 436 feet to center field at Coors Field.
“It was a really nasty fastball,” Parker said of the home run pitch. Quote from MASN’s Mark Zuckermanafter the match.
“It was a really nasty fastball.”
“Aside from the home run, I thought I did a decent job,” Parker added.
“We’ve got to limit the number of bad pitches we make and then we’ll get really good from there.”
In six innings against the Rockies, Parker gave up two walks and four runs, finishing with a 3.30 ERA, a 3.55 FIP, 17 walks (2.08 BB/9) and 58 strikeouts (7.09 K/9) while slashing .229/.274/.348 in 13 starts and 73 at-bats. 2⁄3 The 24-year-old rookie, a fifth-round draft pick in 2020, has pitched 100 innings this season.
Photo: Julio Aguilar/Getty Images
Ahead of Parker’s 14th start of the season, the manager spoke about what keeps Parker calm on the mound as he makes his major league debut.
“It’s just his personality,” Martinez explained.
“The first time I met him, we talked a lot. He’s really shaken up. He takes everything slow and brings it to the mound. So he doesn’t seem too shaken up, which is great.”
“We talked a lot the other day about pitching in Colorado, how tough it is, but once you find yourself, once you find your rhythm, you can produce good results, and he did that.
“He found the curveball, that was the key for him.”
“we [Parker] “Again, the key for him today was attacking the strike zone,” the manager added.
“He throws the ball in the strike zone. When he can do that, he’s really good and he’s really effective.”
Parker threw 59 of his 92 pitches for strikes in Friday night’s game in Tampa Bay, walking one, allowing six hits and two earned runs in five innings, striking out five and giving up a home run on a 405-foot fly ball to left field off a 1-1 slider thrown low by Rays center fielder Jose Ciri at Tropicana Field.
The second run off the left-hander came on an RBI single by Isaac Paredes one inning later, but it was the only run Parker allowed in his start, and the Nationals lost, 3–1.Fourth time in totalIn that appearance, he struck out 13 times (8 of which were on fastballs) and called 13 strikes.7 points for a four-seam fastball, 5 points for a curveball).
He posted a 3.32 ERA and a 3.60 FIP in 78 games. 2⁄3 IP of the year.
Martinez noted Parker’s effort to score a third run with two outs and the bases loaded after giving up two runs in the bottom of the third, reiterating how calm the left-hander has been following the series-opening loss.
“Like I said, he just stays in the moment, doesn’t try too hard and gets the big outs,” Martinez said. “He pitched well. His pitch count was up a little bit, but he kept us in the game.”
This includes:
He’s coming. James Wood is finally going to make it to the majors. Grant Paulsen (106.7 the FAN & MLB Network Radio) The Nationals’ 21-year-old outfielder will join the nation’s major league team on Monday and make his MLB debut, sources said Friday afternoon.
James Wood will be promoted to make his Nationals debut on Monday in Washington, according to a source. The long wait is over. Wood will make his major league debut in three days at Nationals Park against the Mets.
One of the best prospects in baseball, Wood is batting .346 with a 1.036 OPS in Triple-A.
— Grant Poulsen (@granthpaulsen) June 28, 2024
Wood, the Padres’ second-round pick in 2021 and acquired in the trade that sent Juan Soto (and Josh Bell) to San Diego in 2022, was batting .346/.458/.578 with 13 doubles, 10 home runs and 10 stolen bases (In 11 attemptsHe appeared in 51 games and 225 at-bats that year, recording 200 hits, 39 walks and 41 strikeouts.
James Wood will make his MLB debut on Monday against the Mets, a source confirmed. It makes sense, as the promising pitcher returned from a hamstring injury 10 days ago and has proven healthy again in AAA. The Nationals begin an eight-game homestand on Monday. (First reported by Grand Poulsen)
— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) June 28, 2024
Wood had been on the disabled list at Triple-A with a hamstring injury before the news broke last night, but returned for six games and hit three doubles in a 14-7 win over the Rochester Red Wings.He is currently batting .353 with an OPS of 1.058.), but the Nationals have yet to confirm the report.
Upon his return to the Triple-A lineup, Nationals manager Davey Martinez told reporters that the organization’s No. 3 prospect, ranked by MLB Pipeline, would focus on one defensive position after playing all three outfield positions this season.
“I think right now they’re probably going to focus on one position,” Martinez explained, which ended up being left field.
“We don’t know what’s going to happen, but we don’t know what we’re going to need here.”
Martinez said he doesn’t want to rush Wood or any other prospects, but he is open to promoting them when they’re ready.
“We’ve gotten this far without rushing the players and we’re going to continue to do that and make sure the players are ready. The important thing is to get the players here and keep them here.”
Wood will get his chance on Monday … or maybe sooner considering Jesse Winker was injured and left last night’s game early.
Martinez reported after the game that the injury was not as severe as it initially appeared.
“He’ll be fine,” Martinez said in his post-match press conference.
“He looks like he bruised his knee so we’ll see how it feels tomorrow, but it looked worse than it did, so that’s a good sign for us. But he bruised his knee pretty hard. We thought maybe he sprained his ankle. But his ankle is fine, just a little bruised.”
