Prime pitching prospect Jarlin Susana has been identified with a Grade 1 UCL sprain, and will likely be shut down from throwing for the following two weeks. Nationals supervisor Davey Martinez informed reporters (together with MASNsports.com’s Mark Zuckerman) that the workforce will then consider Susana’s subsequent steps at the moment, however for now, Martinez described the harm as a “best-case state of affairs” given the preliminary issues over Susana’s elbow.
The fitting-hander is way from out of the woods but, as he’ll nonetheless be dealing with a major absence even when he avoids surgical procedure and doesn’t have any additional arm discomfort. As Zuckerman notes, if Susana’s restoration doesn’t take and finally ends up needing a surgical procedure anyway, this early hopeful analysis may find yourself costing Susana a while and solely delay his time on the sidelines.
Acquired as a part of the blockbuster Juan Soto commerce with the Padres in 2022, Susana was a consensus decide on preseason top-100 lists, topping out at nineteenth total on Fangraphs’ rating of the sport’s greatest prospects. Different evaluators like ESPN (53th), Baseball America (67th), and MLB Pipeline (79th) had been rather less bullish, however the backside line is that the fourth-year professional has loads of potential.
Advancing to the Double-A degree for the primary time this season, Susana has a 4.15 ERA and a 31.1% strikeout charge in 26 innings in Harrisburg, although his stroll charge has swelled to 16.4%. Management issues have lengthy been the most important problem dealing with Susana, who is likely one of the hardest-throwing pitchers within the minors. His plus-plus fastball sits at or above the 100mph threshold, and Susana additionally has a superb slider as a secondary providing. Whereas Susana has a promising future as a starter, he may additionally venture as a future nearer given the one-two punch of his fastball/slider combo.
Talking of injured Nationals pitchers, Cade Cavalli was formally activated off the 15-day injured checklist as we speak and optioned to Triple-A. Cavalli underwent a Tommy John surgical procedure in March 2023 and ran right into a setback within the type of useless arm syndrome throughout his rehab course of final yr. Cavalli pitched 8 1/3 minor league innings over three appearances within the minors in 2024, and he has a 5.27 ERA over 13 2/3 innings (throughout three totally different minor league ranges) this season throughout one other rehab task.
Washington put Cavalli on the massive league IL to start the season, in order Zuckerman observes, formally ending that IL stint is a minimum of signal that Cavalli’s well being issues at behind him. He can now proceed to pitch within the minors exterior of the boundaries of a rehab task, although it should nonetheless be some time earlier than Cavalli builds up sufficient arm power to make a return to the Nationals’ rotation a chance.
Cavalli was the twenty second total decide of the 2020 draft, and was additionally top-100 prospect earlier than the TJ surgical procedure interrupted his profession. The fitting-hander did get a cup of espresso within the majors, as Cavalli’s MLB resume consists of a single begin (4 1/3 innings) in August 2022.
Derek Legislation additionally began the season on the 15-day IL as a consequence of forearm irritation, and Zuckerman stories that Legislation is about to throw off a mound this week for the primary time since Spring Coaching. A proper flexor pressure put Legislation on the IL late within the 2024 season, and a few continued discomfort from that harm lingered all through the offseason, and stored Legislation from pitching all through virtually all the Nationals’ spring camp. Initially thought of to be a comparatively precautionary IL placement, Legislation’s forearm downside has now value him 1 / 4 of the season, and it looks like he’ll miss a minimum of the remainder of Could since he’ll loads of time to ramp up.
