But McGee isn’t the identical pitcher as he was in his prime, and that was clear in a 6-2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.
McGee allowed a three-run shot to the primary batter he confronted, TJ Friedl, after Paolo Espino allowed the earlier two Cincinnati hitters to attain base. Then, McGee surrendered a solo shot to Colin Moran two batters later. Washington (42-85) has dropped 5 of its final six and prolonged its streak to 43 straight video games with no beginning pitcher incomes a victory.
McGee is the newest instance of the Nationals taking an opportunity on a struggling veteran in hopes he can contribute.
The Nationals claimed him off waivers Aug. 9, however regardless of his profession ERA of 3.66, main questions remained. His ERA this season was 7.00 from 30 appearances with the Milwaukee Brewers and the San Francisco Giants, however Martinez and pitching coach Jim Hickey have been banking on expertise.
Washington has seen either side of the spectrum with Eramso Ramirez and Carl Edwards Jr., who’ve confirmed to be efficient bullpen arms this season. But not each veteran has success. Take second baseman César Hernández, who was just lately benched in favor of prospects. Or designated hitter Nelson Cruz, who hasn’t hit for a lot energy this season. Or third baseman Maikel Franco, who was designated for project Friday.
McGee’s signing was out of necessity for a staff that hasn’t had many left-handed choices out of the bullpen except for Sean Doolittle, who was injured in the primary month of the season. Francisco Perez and Sam Clay bounced between the majors and minors; Clay was ultimately designated for project. Josh Rogers was designated for project after the Juan Soto/Josh Bell commerce and Evan Lee has been rehabbing from a left flexor pressure since mid-June.
So with a lefty in Friedl up to bat in the sixth, McGee appeared like the right man to salvage the outing for Espino, who went 5⅓ innings and saved the Reds (50-75) from getting a lot strong contact. But McGee couldn’t do the identical. Friedl and Moran’s homers had exit velocities of 99.6 and 101.5 mph, respectively.
How did Washington fare on the plate? The offense had tons of loud contact however not a lot to present for it. In the primary two innings in opposition to Reds starter Luke Cessa, the primary eight batters put the ball in play with exit velocities of not less than 93.4 mph. Lane Thomas’s 404-foot homer in the second inning was the one run throughout that point. Luke Voit added an RBI single in the eighth.
What did MacKenzie Gore do Saturday? He threw his first bullpen since being traded to the Nationals on Aug. 2. Gore, 23, was positioned on the injured record with elbow irritation earlier than the commerce, and the Nationals have been cautious together with his rehab since. Gore posted a 1.50 ERA by the primary 9 begins of his season with the San Diego Padres earlier than hitting a tough patch that raised his ERA to 4.50.
What transfer did the Nationals make? They reinstated 2017 first-round choose and left-handed pitcher Seth Romero from the 60-day Injured List and optioned him to Class AAHarrisburg after he rehabbed from a left calf pressure.
Outfielder Yadiel Hernandez (calf) was transferred to the 60-day IL in a corresponding transfer, successfully ending the 34-year-old outfielder’s season. After a scorching begin to the 2022 season, Hernandez earned himself a spot in the lineup platooning primarily in opposition to right-handers. He hit a modest .269 in 94 video games with 9 homers and 41 RBI.
Romero, 26, made three aid appearances through the 2020 season however has struggled to keep wholesome and keep away from bother off the sector for his profession. He suffered a rib harm in 2021, then was arrested on a cost of driving whereas intoxicated in January. Even earlier than drafting him, the Nationals had to weigh repeated off-the-field points from his time at University of Houston. Martinez nonetheless believes that Romero can contribute.
“At this point, it’s up to him,” Martinez mentioned. “As you know, I don’t tolerate a whole lot of things off the field. He’s got to do the right things off the field as well as perform on the field. Only time will tell. He’s still fairly young, which is good. It all just depends on how Seth wants to move forward.”