Nationals to promote Giolito for Tuesday debut
The Washington Nationals needed an arm after Stephen Strasburg was placed on the disabled list Sunday, and they've found it in the form of a much-hyped pitching prospect.
Lucas Giolito will make his major-league debut Tuesday against the New York Mets, manager Dusty Baker announced Monday.
Giolito is ranked as the No. 1 prospect in both the Nationals system and in all of baseball by MLB Pipeline despite having not yet pitched above Double-A.
"He's ready for the task," Baker told reporters at Nationals Park, before adding he hasn't yet committed to giving Giolito a rotation spot beyond Tuesday.
''It's impossible to answer,'' Baker said. ''Has he had enough seasoning down there? Probably not, but sometimes guys do. You just don't know.''
Giolito, Washington's first-round pick (16th overall) in 2012, underwent Tommy John surgery within a month of signing his first pro contract. Since then, he's rocketed through the organization, throwing just 11 total games in the rookie and short-season leagues while reaching Single-A before his 19th birthday. Last season, he struck out 131 batters over 117 innings split between High-A Potomac and Double-A Harrisburg.
The 21-year-old returned to Harrisburg this season, posting a 3.17 ERA in 71 innings pitched while striking out 9.1 batters per nine innings. He boasts a plus fastball that sits in the upper 90s to complement an excellent curveball.
Washington enters Monday's series opener having lost seven of its last eight, and sit just three games up on both the Mets and Marlins in the NL East.