The Nationals are selecting first baseman/corener outfielder Travis Blankenhorn, reports Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post (Twitter link). He’ll take one of the extra spots on the September active roster. The club’s 40-man roster is at capacity, so they’ll need to make a corresponding move tomorrow.
Blankenhorn, 27, has spent the season with Triple-A Rochester after signing an offseason minor league deal. He’s had a productive year, hitting .264/.363/.521 with 23 longballs. The left-handed hitter has walked at a strong 11.3% clip and hit for enough power to offset a slightly elevated 24.3% strikeout rate.
A former third-round pick of the Twins, Blankenhorn has gotten cups of coffee with Minnesota and the Mets at the big league level. He has 26 games of MLB experience between 2020-22. The Pennsylvania native has shown well against upper minors pitching, carrying a .262/.354/.487 line in a little more than 1000 career Triple-A plate appearances.
Blankenhorn is limited defensively but offers a bat-first option for manager Dave Martinez down the stretch. He’ll look to impress the front office enough over the next five weeks to stake a claim to a 40-man spot over the winter.
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