Cavalli coming in 2024?
Cade Cavalli had to reset his rehab from Tommy John surgery after a long battle with recovery and a period of arm weakness earlier this season and is now essentially starting from scratch, trying to get his arm ready to return to the game.
Nationals manager Davey Martinez told reporters this week that Cavalli is headed to West Palm Beach, Fla., and “… is going to come out of here and throw about 75 feet” and “… he should be on his way.”
As for whether Cavalli, who made three rehab starts before things shut down, could get a start or two somewhere in the franchise’s lineup later this season, Martinez said, “Right now, we’ll have to wait and see.”
“Time will tell. Let’s see what happens, really. I’d love to see him pitch one inning, two innings, three innings, however many innings he wants, so we can have a normal winter and be ready for spring training. You never know. He’s a big, strong kid and he’s feeling pretty good right now.”
Lipscomb Plan:
Trey Lipscomb (24) has played in 20 recent games for the Valley League team, batting .152/.211/.182 with 10 hits in 66 at-bats, two doubles, five walks and 17 strikeouts in 72 at-bats.
Lipscomb rejoined Triple-A Rochester earlier this week.
“We’ve got to get Trey a little more used to being at the plate,” manager Davey Martinez explained after the transfer news was made official.
“He’s playing unbelievable defense. We’re going to have to work on some things with him, get him up to bat every day and get him back to his natural hitting ability.”
In the minor leagues, the team will receive a 2022 third-round pick (Graduated from the University of Tennessee) had a solid batting average of .279, on-base percentage of .317, and slugging percentage of .417 in 778 at-bats, but in the major leagues he had a batting average of .207, on-base percentage of .276, and slugging percentage of .239 in 205 at-bats.
“He’s got to get a little bit more on his feet,” the captain said, “he’s lost it a little bit and from my perspective it looked like he was really trying to pull the ball.”
Photo by Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images
“I think you noticed in spring training that he was hitting the ball well, hitting balls up the middle, right-center field and right field. I’d like to see him get back to that.”
“He’s going to go over there and work on some things, hopefully get his swing back and then we’ll see if we can get him back here.”
What’s the message with Lipscomb struggling at the plate in recent weeks and now injured again?
“You always want everybody to come here and be successful, but that’s part of the game,” Martinez said. “I told him, you have options, that’s part of the game, just understand you’ve got to go out there and work to get back here. And I would love to see him back here, and knowing Trey, he’s going to work hard to get back here.”
Wood rolling:
21-year-old James Wood, who was 3-for-11 in the series against the Los Angeles Angels with a double, a home run, a walk and two strikeouts in 12 at-bats, has 19 hits in 35 at-bats in 15 games since July 27, for a .359 batting average/.469 on-base percentage/.642 slugging percentage with three doubles, two home runs, 11 walks and 16 strikeouts, giving him one hit and 16 strikeouts in 64 at-bats.
Wood went 0-for-3 with one walk in the final game against the LAA in Washington DC, but has now reached base in 15 of his past 16 games.
His most recent home run was a 381-foot smash to left-center field off a 2-2 inside slider from Angels right-hander Griffin Canning in Saturday’s win at Nationals Park.
“He doesn’t move away from the ball,” manager Davey Martinez said after Wood hit his fourth major league home run and his fourth career opposite-field homer.
“He’s got a good grip on the ball,” Martinez emphasized. “He hits the ball the other way really well, so it was a great swing. And then he comes up and hits it back to right-center field, another good swing. So he’s having a good at-bat.”
“When he hits the ball, he hits it hard.”
Wood has 152 major league plate appearances and has hit the ball hard 43.5% of the time, good for fifth-best in the major leagues among players with at least 150 plate appearances this season, and his BABIP of .383 is tied for third overall. He has hit 48.2% of balls to center field. It’s no wonder Davie wants him in the lineup.
