The Nationals clubhouse looked like a fraternity during rush week. The bullpen looked like it had run out of seats in the middle of Tuesday’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Washington days ago recalled first baseman Chris Marrero and outfielder Roger Bernadina from Triple-A Syracuse. Reliever Doug Slaten was then added after a long rehab stint. But the room was invaded by call-ups on Tuesday. In all, 36 players occupied locker stalls. Some, like Livan Hernandez and Jordan Zimmermann, are in watch-only mode, their seasons finished early. But that still gives manager Davey Johnson an absurd amount of players on his bench and in the bullpen to choose from.
Added to the 40-man roster on Tuesday were right-handed pitcher Brad Peacock and infielder Steve Lombardozzi. Both made their big-league debuts Tuesday. To make room, the Nats released minor-league reliever Adam Carr, retroactively transferred reliever Cole Kimball (shoulder) to the 60-day disabled list and designated right-handed reliever Garrett Mock for assignment. Players already on the 40-man roster who simply needed to be recalled from Triple-A Syracuse were right-handed pitchers Yunesky Maya and Craig Stammen, left-handed pitcher Atahualpa Severino and outfielder Corey Brown.
That means 10 of the 36 players on the active roster are rookies. Peacock tossed 1 1/3 innings with one earned run allowed on four hits and a walk. His night ended when bad weather made play impossible in the top of the seventh inning with two out. But he’d entered the game with two runenrs on base, one out and Dodgers star Matt Kemp at the plate with his .320 batting average and 32 home runs. Not exactly the debut you imagine in your dreams, but the Nats were glad to get a glimpse of the Double-A Eastern League’s pitcher of the year.
“It was definitely as tough as it can get,” Peacock laughed afterwards. “Looking down there and seeing [Kemp] as my first major-league batter? Adrenaline was definitely going there. But it all worked out.”
Still not exactly how Johnson drew it up. He said before the game Peacock would not come in during the middle of an inning. But with a rain shower looming he didn’t want to have Peacock warm up only to sit because of a delay. Then Slaten got in trouble and…well, the best laid plans.
“I was kind of between a rock and a hard spot and I said, ‘Well, welcome to the big leagues, son.’ I thought he handled it well,” Johnson said. “Normally if the rain hadnt been there, I would’ve had him warming up and he would’ve started the inning. But he might’ve had the same problem – gave up a couple hits and have the same situation. The only good news as far as I’m concerned is that he didn’t get a loss. He acquitted himself pretty well.”
Also appearing in a big-league game for the first time was Severino, who had twice before been recalled by the Nats only to not appear in a game at all before being returned to the minors. No such problems this time. He entered the game for Peacock after a short rain delay and struck out James Loney to end the seventh inning. Brown was the fourth rookie to debut. He came up as a pinch hitter with the bases loaded down and Washington down 7-3, but flew out to left to end the game.
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