LEADING OFF: Braves (14 wins in row) vs Cubs (10 Ls in row)
Austin Riley and the Atlanta Braves aim for their 15th straight win, which would tie for the longest streak in franchise history in the post-1900 eraJUNE 16, 2022•ASSOCIATED PRESS
Yadiel Hernandez - Heads to bench amid slumpHernandez is out of the lineup for Thursday's game against the Phillies.
ImpactHernandez commonly finds himself out of the lineup versus left-handed pitching, but his move to the bench Thursday comes with a right-hander (Zack Wheeler) taking the hill for Philadelphia. Ehire Adrianza will pick up a start in the corner outfield in place of Hernandez, whose standing atop the depth chart could be slipping while he's fallen into a tailspin at the plate in recent weeks. Dating back to May 21, Hernandez is slashing .148/.200/.213 while striking out 29.2 percent of the time over a stretch of 18 games.
JUNE 16, 2022•ROTOWIRE
Juan Soto - In Thursday's lineupSoto (knee) is starting in right field and hitting third Thursday against the Phillies.
ImpactHe hadn't seen the field since being removed from Monday's game with right knee soreness, but he'll rejoin the lineup for Thursday's series opener. Soto is hitting .186/.352/.488 with four home runs and one steal through 43 at-bats in June.
JUNE 16, 2022•ROTOWIRE
Jackson Tetreault - Will stay in rotationTetreault is scheduled to make his second start with the Nationals on Sunday against the Phillies.
ImpactWith Steven Strasburg (ribs) recently moving back to the injured list and with Washington electing to keep fellow rookie pitcher Evan Lee in the bullpen for now, Tetreault will receive at least one more turn through the rotation. Tetreault was blasted for seven runs on nine hits -- including three home runs -- over four innings in his MLB debut Tuesday against Atlanta, so he'll likely need a better showing Sunday to ensure he holds off Lee or another pitcher for the final spot in Washington's rotation.
JUNE 16, 2022•ROTOWIRE
Evan Lee - Won't start this weekendLee is no longer expected to make a start during Friday's doubleheader against the Phillies with the Nationals listing Joan Adon and Paolo Espino as their starters for Game 1 and 2...
ImpactA day earlier, manager Dave Martinez seemed to imply that Lee would pick up a start in one half of the twin bill, but Washington is ultimately choosing to call up Adon from Triple-A Rochester to fill the temporary opening in the rotation. Adon hasn't worked more than three frames in his last two outings and Espino hasn't covered more than 3.2 innings on any occasion this season, so Lee could still be a candidate to handle a bulk-relief role in either end of the twin bill.
JUNE 16, 2022•ROTOWIRE
Paolo Espino - Remains in rotationEspino is scheduled to make his next start Friday in the second game of the Nationals' doubleheader with the Phillies, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.
ImpactWith Stephen Strasburg (ribs) recently moving back to the 15-day injured list, the Nationals are prepared to give Espino a trial in the rotation. After making his first 20 appearances of the season out of the bullpen, Espino picked up his first start last weekend against the Brewers. He covered 3.2 innings in that contest and gave up one run on four hits and no walks, but he should be able to work deeper into Friday's start.
JUNE 16, 2022•ROTOWIRE
Joan Adon - Rejoining big club for spot startThe Nationals plan to call up Adon from Triple-A Rochester to start the first game of Friday's doubleheader with the Phillies, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.
ImpactWashington is likely to designate Adon as its 27th man for the twin bill, so he's expected to be returned to Rochester immediately after the spot start. He'll be rejoining the Nationals after going 1-10 while supplying a 6.95 ERA, 1.76 WHIP and 44:35 K:BB in 55.2 innings over 12 starts before being demoted to Triple-A earlier this month.
JUNE 16, 2022•ROTOWIRE
