Ahead of Wednesday's important matchup against the Chicago Cubs , the Washington Nationals made a notable roster move.
As announced by the team, they revealed that right-handed pitcher Miles Mikolas was designated for assignment. That was the corresponding action following the organization's decision to promote left-handed pitcher Jackson Kent to The Show for his major league debut. The Nationals waited until Wednesday to make things official.
Kent is now slated to make his first MLB start, and Mikolas will be looking for his next one. He was signed to a one-year, $2.25 million contract back in February with the goal of eating innings for Washington while providing veteran leadership. He was able to do the latter, but he struggled on the mound with a 5.89 ERA.
Washington Nationals pitcher Miles Mikolas | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Because of his inflated ERA, the writing was on the wall that this move was going to be made at some point. That became especially true when fellow veteran right-hander Zack Littell was designated for assignment, then released , a handful of days prior.
The Nationals weren't expecting to get a high level of performance from Mikolas when they signed him. While he is a two-time All-Star, he's been trending in the wrong direction since he competed in the Midsummer Classic in 2022. But Washington wanted to bring in an established arm or two while their young pitchers continued to develop. And now that a few of them look ready for the majors, the organization decided now was the time to start focusing on the future.
In the short term, that means Kent is going to get his opportunity. He has made a rapid climb up the pipeline this season, as he began the year with Double-A Harrisburg before getting sent up to Triple-A Rochester. However, in addition to that, Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic reported that right-handed pitcher Brad Lord could get some chances as a starting pitcher coming down the stretch. That's notable since that is how this regime initially viewed the 26-year-old heading into spring training.
This move could also open up a pathway for top prospect Luis Perales to make his major league debut later in the season, too. And if everything goes well for DJ Herz on his rehab assignment this time around, he could be in line to make some appearances in the bigs for the first time since 2024 after recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Former Washington Nationals pitcher Foster Griffin | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Circling back to Mikolas, his departure means that all three of Washington's major league signings from this past offseason are no longer with the team.
Foster Griffin , who was signed after he spent three years pitching in Japan, was dealt ahead of the trade deadline following his breakout season that saw him earn his first-career All-Star nod. Littell was the second one to go, as he was released following his DFA. He signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks , so there's a chance he could be pitching in meaningful games coming down the stretch since his new team is in the thick of the NL wild card race.
As for Mikolas, it will be interesting to see what happens with him to close out the year. He didn't have a robust market this past winter, but if teams are looking for a veteran arm to fill innings for them to close out the season, then he could find a new home, as well.
Overall, this was the right play for the Nationals. They are a longshot to make the playoffs, and with their young pitchers seemingly ready for the majors, it was time for the organization to look ahead to the future.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/nationals/onsi as Nationals Part Ways With Miles Mikolas as They Look Ahead to Future .
