The Nationals have placed starter Josh Rogers on the 10-day injured list with a hamstring strain. The move allows local legend Gerardo Parra to return to the active roster from the injured list. Parra will bring "Baby Shark" back to Nats Park for the final two games of the season.
This season, the 34-year-old stepped to the plate 105 times and slashed .232/.288/.347 with a pair of home runs. Parra continues to be a positive clubhouse influence and fan favorite. Just two years removed from their title run, Parra is one of surprising few links left to that title team.
As for Rogers, the southpaw was a scrap-heap pickup from the Orioles who gave the Nats some valuable innings down the stretch. The 27-year-old has some fan-favorite flair of his own, bringing a bouncy energy to the mound in six starts totaling 35 2/3 innings. Rogers did enough to likely earn himself a look next year for the pitching-needy Nationals.
Rogers finishes the year with a 3.28 ERA/5.83 FIP, the latter number due to a disinclination to miss bats. Rogers has just a 14.6 percent strikeout rate and 8.6 percent swinging strike rate, well below the 22.6 percent and 10.9 percent mark averaged by starters throughout the game. Regardless, with only Patrick Corbin, Josiah Gray and Stephen Strasburg (if healthy) guaranteed rotation spots next season, Rogers should have a continued opportunity to prove he can continue to keep runs off the board in Washington.
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