Good morning, Washington Nationals fans.

Here are the latest headlines and analyses around the Washington Nationals and Major League Baseball for today, June 5.

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Welcome to the Morning Briefing! The Nationals lost to the Mets. A top prospect made their debut, let’s talk about it.

Leading this Morning's Briefing: Herz makes major league debut

DJ Herz did not get the fanfare for his debut. His debut did not come after a dominant stretch in Triple-A. He was walking 7.25 batters per nine over his first nine starts. It came suddenly when the Nationals’ top performer, Trevor Williams, went to the injured list with a right flexor muscle strain. The Nationals needed someone to make the start, so they called upon the Nats Report pre-season No. 14 prospect.

Herz relied heavily on his fastball and changeup, which is what made him a notable prospect. He threw one of those two pitches over 82 percent of the time. He performed decently with the two offerings, getting lots of whiffs. But when he didn’t get the whiffs, there was damage. He allowed seven hits, including a home run. Major league hitters showed that same discipline that the guys in Triple-A did, as Herz walked two over his four innings of work.

While you cannot draw any major conclusions from one major league start, it is clear Herz still has some major flaws that will prevent him from being a major league starter this season. He lacks a third offering presently, and while  the fastball and changeup are good offerings, a third pitch is absolutely necessary for him to make that leap. Depending on the pitch, he could kill two birds with one zone if he finds a pitch that can reliably get chases out of the zone.

After Herz’s start, his Triple-A manager Matthew LeCroy told the Nats Report, “I’m glad Rizzo and Davey let him go up and pitch. I think he deserved it after what he’s done. I’m really happy, and I thought he competed well in his first time in the big leagues. I think he will continue to get better, but I’m excited about the player development side for DJ and his family.”

Derek Law ate three innings and struck out two while allowing one earned run.

The Nationals lineup once again failed to generate an extra-base hit. Jacob Young went 3-3 with a walk, but the rest of the lineup got three hits combined. Jesse Winker and CJ Abrams got on base twice, notching a single and a walk under their belts.

The Nationals will now play in a Wednesday game hoping to avoid being swept. First pitch is at 4:05 p.m. ET, and the Nationals will send LHP Patrick Corbin (1-6, 5.83 ERA) to the mound to face RHP Luis Severino (3-2, 3.52 ERA). The game will be televised on MASN.

Down in the Minors

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Major League Baseball announces Sports Betting discipline for five players

The Nats Report News Room • Jun 4, 2024

Major League Baseball announced today that following investigations by its Department of Investigations, disciplinary action has been taken against Major League players Tucupita Marcano (San Diego Padres infielder/outfielder) and Michael Kelly (Oakland Athletics pitcher); and Minor League playersRead full story →

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