The Washington Nationals have recalled left-handed starting pitcher DJ Herz from Triple-A Rochester and have placed right-handed pitcher Trevor Williams on the 15-day Injured List with a right flexor muscle strain on Tuesday. General Manager Mike Rizzo has announced that Herz will start and make his Major League debut tonight against the New York Mets at Nationals Park. With the Red Wings this season Herz is 3-2 with a 3.75 ERA, 42 strikeouts with a .176 opponents’ batting average against him across nine starts. Over his last four starts, he is 3-0 with a 2.50 ERA striking out 25. In his previous start on May 30 against the St. Paul Saints the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins, he struck out 10, allowed one run, two hits, and one walk over 5.1 innings. The 23-year-old was originally an eighth-round draft pick by the Chicago Cubs in 2019 out of Sanford High School in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
The Nats acquired Herz during last season’s trade deadline with shortstop Kevin Made in exchange for third baseman Jeimer Candelario. In his five-year minor league career Herz is 13-16 and posts a 3.56 ERA with 455 strikeouts in 317.2 innings holding batters to a .178 batting average. An unfortunate break for the Nats and the veteran right-hander Trevor Williams who now hits the Injured List for the next two weeks. The 32-year-old has had a stellar start to the season going 5-0 with a 2.22 ERA, 47 strikeouts, and 16 walks giving up just 14 ER over 56.2 innings in 11 starts.
