Washington’s leadership believes Cade Cavalli will be back in the majors for the final few weeks of the season after the 2020 first-round pick underwent Tommy John surgery in the spring of 2023, followed by a grueling rehabilitation. They had high hopes, but setbacks along the way forced them to make a difficult decision.
“Time is running out this season,” Cavalli told reporters at the end of September. Quoted by Mark Zuckerman of MASN.
“I hate it because I want to be out more than anything. I miss competing like crazy.
“Time is running out. I’m so excited. There’s a lot of fuel in the fire for 2025.”
“Right now, I think we’re going to let him keep pitching,” captain Davey Martinez told reporters before a Sept. 17 game at Citi Field in New York. I don’t think he’ll be back, especially not able to pitch at all here, but we want to make sure he’s healthy for spring training. ”
Illness and an arm injury forced Cavalli to take time off from work, ultimately leading to an unfortunate situation.
“It’s different when a faster player comes back sooner than when his arm doesn’t keep up,” Cavalli explained in September.
“My body and everything felt so good. And there were times when it was normal…and then there were times when it happened and my arm wasn’t responding the day before.”
By the end of the season he had regained his form and was happy with his situation.
“I feel like everything is coming together right now,” he said. “I feel healthy. I feel like my body is moving better and the ball is coming out.”
Martinez and others in the Nationals’ front office considered the possibility of the former top prospect pitching in the Arizona Fall League later this year, but the club decided against it.
“We talked to him about it, and I talked about it too. [General manager Mike Rizzo] We all agree on that to some extent. However, he worked hard to get back to where he is now. We just want him to continue his rehab and be ready for the spring,” Martinez said.
On the final day of the 2024 season, Martinez said he was excited to mix Cavalli and Josiah Gray into the Nats’ future rotation (Still recovering after TJS), Mackenzie Gore, Jake Irvin, DJ Hurts, Mitchell Parker, or any prospect on their way to kicking down the door.
“We’re in a good position with our young starters and guys coming up. We hope Cade stays healthy for spring training next year.”
“We had a guy like this. [Brad] Lord, you did a great job,” he added of the 2022 18th-round pick, who is currently ranked No. 30 on the Nats’ top prospects list on MLB Pipeline. “[Travis] Shikora [No. 2 overall, and currently the top ranked pitcher in the system]you know, pitched really well. [Jarlin] Susanna [No. 4] It’s developing really well. We’re really excited about our starting pitcher. ”
So excited, why don’t they try to sign veteran troops to add depth to the corps already in place? Do you think the Nationals need to acquire a No. 1 or No. 2 type starter before taking the next step?
