Miles Mikolas is officially off the Washington Nationals’ roster, designated for assignment to clear a path for their top lefty pitching prospect, Jackson Kent. This is a massive shake-up, with Kent set to make his MLB debut on Wednesday against the Cubs, showing the Nats are ready to turn the page.
Mikolas, who is 37, had a rough go after signing a $2.25 million deal in February following seven years with the Cardinals. The veteran starter simply couldn’t find his footing in Washington. A shocking 14 of his 25 starts lasted less than five innings, and he couldn’t even make it out of the fourth inning in eight of those outings. Bringing up Kent is a clear sign that the Nationals are ready to see what their future holds on the mound.
Kent, a fourth-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, has been climbing the ladder fast. He kicked off the season in Double-A Harrisburg before earning his promotion to Triple-A Rochester. In 13 starts and 63 ⅔ innings at Triple-A, Kent put up a 4.38 ERA, a solid 3.1 K/BB ratio, and racked up 9.5 strikeouts per nine innings. MLB Pipeline, which ranks him as the No. 8 prospect in Washington’s system, projected him as a back-end starter by the end of 2026, so this debut is right on schedule. His changeup is reportedly his best pitch, and Nationals fans are definitely eager to see it in action.
Elsewhere in the league, injuries are starting to pile up and test some contenders. Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve had a scary moment Tuesday night against the San Francisco Giants, leaving the game after getting hit on his left foot by an 82-mph slider from Giants starter Carson Whisenhunt. Altuve, 36 and a two-time World Series champ, stayed in to run the bases and took the field for the bottom of the first, but exited before the second inning. Manager Joe Espada confirmed Altuve was “sore” with a bruised foot, but imaging came back negative, with more updates expected Wednesday. Despite losing that game 4-1, Houston is still hanging on to first place in the AL West, just a half-game up on Texas.
Over in Oakland, the news for reigning AL Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz is looking grim. The Athletics’ first baseman is facing the possibility of missing the rest of the season due to an injured right thumb. Manager Mark Kotsay said Kurtz needs to be in a brace for four weeks after a PRP injection on August 4. Kotsay hinted that four weeks without mobility makes a return before the end of September tough to imagine. Kurtz, 23, went on the injured list on July 11 with a sprained right thumb, came back two weeks later, but struggled mightily, going just 1 for 18 in seven games. He was batting .256 with 21 homers and 69 RBIs in his second season before the latest setback.
Wednesday is going to be a big day, with Jackson Kent’s highly anticipated debut for the Nationals, and critical updates expected on Jose Altuve’s foot. For the Astros, every game matters as they try to hold off Texas in the AL West race, so Altuve’s status is huge. And we’ll be waiting to see if Kurtz’s season is truly over, which would be a massive blow for the A’s.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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