Nationals Give Mitchell Parker Another Chance as They Recall Him From Minors

Washington Nationals pitcher Mitchell Parker Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Nationals Give Mitchell Parker Another Chance as They Recall Him From Minors

Originally posted on Washington Nationals on SI
By Brad Wakai | Last updated Apr 14, 2026 12:49 PM ET

It was reported that Mitchell Parker was part of the Washington Nationals' taxi squad on Monday. The expectation was that he would be recalled and join the MLB roster.

On Tuesday, the Nationals made it official. Per an announcement by the team, they revealed that the left-hander is getting another opportunity in the majors after he was optioned to Triple-A Rochester during spring training.

Parker is the corresponding move for right-hander Jackson Rutledge getting optioned back to the minors following a disastrous performance against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday where he allowed seven earned runs in just 1 1/3 innings pitched. But with Parker back with the big league squad, it's unclear what his long-term role is going to be in Washington.

Mitchell Parker Expected to Piggyback Miles Mikolas on Tuesday

John Jones-Imagn Images

The expectation is Parker is going to be used in a piggyback role whenever scheduled starter Miles Mikolas is pulled from the game on Tuesday. It has not been a good start to the season for Mikolas, as the veteran right-hander has an 0-3 record and a 12.41 ERA across his three outings. The Nationals pulled him after three innings in his most recent start on April 8, and they could do that again with Parker now on the roster.

While the piggyback strategy has not been confirmed by Washington, it's likely that's how Parker is going to be used on Tuesday. But how long he remains on the roster and how he'll be utilized going forward will be determined by how he performs.

This article first appeared on Washington Nationals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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