Nationals Call Up Intriguing Pitcher, Place Reliever on Injured List

The Washington Nationals got some tough news on Sunday as the team announced that it has put reliever Orlando Ribalta on the 15-day injured list.

Ribalta has made four appearances this regular season, posting a 5.87 ERA over 7.2 innings of work. The news that he's heading to the IL comes after he threw 58 pitches over three innings in an April 8 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The 27-year-old native of Cuba made four appearances with the Nationals in his first MLB action in 2024.

With Ribalta sidelined, Washington announced that they are calling up right-handed pitcher Cole Henry from Triple-A Rochester.

Henry, a second-round pick in the 2020 MLB draft out of Louisiana State University, had a strong showing in spring training.

In 4.2 innings of work, he did not allow a single run while striking out nine opposing hitters.

He made two appearances out of the bullpen with Rochester, working an inning both times. He did not allow a run there either, but he did allow three walks while striking out four.

Henry was drafted and initially developed as a starter, but he revealed in February that he would be making the transition to reliever, hoping to find a clearer path to contributing at the Major League level.

The opportunity available is a big one for Henry, and possibly an impactful one for the Nationals, who have gotten better-than-expected performances from their starting rotation while seeing their bullpen give away several games late.

Washington ranks 27th in MLB with a reliever ERA of 5.33, while the team is 21st in starter ERA at 4.26.

If Henry can come in and be a high-end producer for Washington, he could be in the mix for the rest of the season.