Millas joins active roster, giving Nats three catchers

TORONTO – Drew Millas was on the trainer’s table in Rochester, getting ready for Thursday’s game, when Nationals director of player development De Jon Watson called with a quick question: “Do you have your passport with you?”

Millas affirmed he did, then Watson hung up, leaving the Triple-A catcher wondering what that was all about.

He would get the news a short while later: The Nats wanted Millas to meet them in Miami in case they needed to add him to the active roster, and then to continue with them to Toronto after that. Hence the passport question.

So tonight, the 25-year-old found himself in the visitors’ clubhouse at Rogers Centre, a No. 81 jersey waiting for him as he makes his major league debut. The Nationals officially purchased his contract, optioning outfielder Blake Rutherford to Rochester and transferring reliever Carl Edwards Jr. to the 60-day injured list to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for the rookie catcher.

For Millas, who hit a robust .342 at Double-A Harrisburg to begin the season and earn a promotion to Triple-A, where he produced a .766 OPS, this is the culmination of a long and rewarding trek.

“After a tough year last year – injuries, whatever it may be, inconsistencies – this year has been great,” he said. “It’s been a blessing. And honestly, I recently lost my grandpa. And that was one of the hardest moments of my life, and that happened, probably five, six weeks ago. So this means a lot. It’s special.”

Acquired with pitcher Richard Guasch from the Athletics for Josh Harrison and Yan Gomes at the 2021 trade deadline, Millas has always profiled well behind the plate. This year, he has added offensive consistency and even some speed on the bases to put himself on the Nats’ radar.

With Keibert Ruiz not 100 percent available over the weekend in Miami after he reported headaches that appear to have been the product of a dental issue that has since been addressed, the team wanted to have another catcher on hand. Millas was officially on the taxi squad for the weekend series against the Marlins. And though Ruiz is good to go now and will start tonight against the Blue Jays, Millas was added to the 26-man roster, giving Davey Martinez three catchers for the first time this season.

Martinez said he intends to get a look at Millas behind the plate, but his presence also offers the manager flexibility to start both Ruiz and Riley Adams or use a pinch-runner for one of them late in a game (something he couldn’t do in the ninth inning Sunday).

“For me, it’s a lot easier to do now, because he’s here and we have a third catcher,” Martinez said. “But Millas is also a really good athlete. He can do a lot of different things here for us. Obviously, he’s going to catch – and I want to mix him in there every now and then – but he’s a switch-hitter, very athletic. He’s going to get a chance to do some different things.”

The last-minute circumstances, combined with a road series in another country, prevented Millas’ family from coming to Toronto for his debut. His fiancé is here with him, though, the two of them fortunately having already had their passports on hand because they planned to drive from Rochester to see the Canadian side of Niagara Falls on an off-day. The rest of his family will come to Washington later this week and celebrate his first homestand.

“It’s been a little bit of a whirlwind, but it’s been fun,” he said. “Getting acclimated. The first two days were kind of pressure-free. They told me you can’t go out there (on the field), so I just sat around and waited and got a feel for what was going on. Turned out it was a good little preface for what’s going on here every day.”

* Stone Garrett will be prevented from putting any weight on his left leg for six weeks following this week’s surgery. According to Martinez, the outfielder not only had his broken fibula repaired but also had “a little bit of work done” on his ankle.

* Tanner Rainey threw a perfect inning of relief for Harrisburg on Sunday, needing only seven pitches (all strikes) to retire the side. It was the right-hander’s fifth rehab appearance, and Martinez said he’s getting close to pitching on back-to-back days, a key step in his final series of outings before he returns from last summer’s Tommy John surgery.

* Thaddeus Ward will make a five-inning, 80-pitch start for Single-A Wilmington on Tuesday, in the lasts example of the Rule 5 draftee (rehabbing from shoulder inflammation) getting stretched out to potentially start big league games in September.