WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Nationals have recalled highly-regarded left-handed prospect DJ Herz to start and make his Major League debut against the New York Mets on Tuesday.
In a corresponding move, the Nationals placed Trevor Williams on the 15-day injured list with right flexor muscle strain, retroactive to June 1. Herz, 23, has a 3-2 record with a 3.75 ERA over nine starts for Triple-A Rochester, with 42 strikeouts and a .177 opponents’ batting average.
Williams was 5-0 with a 2.22 ERA in 11 starts and 47 strikeouts with 16 walks this season. The righthander has not lost a game since Sept. 10.
Herz was originally an eighth-round selection in the 2019 MLB amateur draft by the Chicago Cubs. The Fayetteville, N.C., native was acquired by the Nationals on July 31 from the Cubs with shortstop Kevin Made in exchange for veteran infielder Jeimer Candelario. He is the highest rated LHP in the Nationals’ system.
Herz leads all of Minor League Baseball with a .176 opponents’ batting average and is third with a 13.09 strikeouts per 9.0 innings pitched since the beginning of the 2021 season. In his last four starts for Rochester, Herz has gone 3-0 with a 2.50 ERA over 18 innings pitched, 25 strikeouts and a .148 batting average against. He struck out 10 batters against St. Paul on May 30, allowing one run on two hits and a walk over 5 1/3 innings.
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