Parker secures final spot in rotation; Nuñez, Millas optioned to Triple-A

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Nationals have chosen Mitchell Parker as the final member of their Opening Day rotation, a decision that became official when they optioned both Shinnosuke Ogasawara and DJ Herz to Triple-A Rochester.

The Nats also optioned infielder Nasim Nuñez and catcher Drew Millas to Rochester, narrowing their list of remaining candidates for the last spot on the bench and the backup catcher to two apiece.

The competition for the fifth starter’s job was the most compelling one in camp from the day pitchers and catchers reported last month. Any one of the three left-handers could have claimed it, but ultimately it was clear Parker deserved it over the others.

Parker, who went 7-10 with a 4.29 ERA and 1.305 WHIP in 29 big league starts last season, had a solid-but-not-spectacular spring. Over 12 1/3 innings, he posted a 3.65 ERA and 1.216 WHIP, improving each step of the way.

Manager Davey Martinez hasn’t announced his rotation order to begin the year aside from naming MacKenzie Gore the Opening Day starter, but Parker has been lined up for a while to pitch the third game, the Nationals perhaps preferring to use a lefty against the Phillies lineup.

Ogasawara was the biggest unknown entering spring training, the 27-year-old having become the first Japanese free agent to sign with the Nats, which he did for a modest $3.5 million. Club officials knew there would be an adjustment period for the left-hander, and it became clear it would take more than six weeks for that process to play out.

Ogasawara made five Grapefruit League starts, allowing 19 runs (12 earned) on 24 hits and eight walks while striking out only 10. His ERA ballooned to 11.25, his WHIP to 2.667 after a laborious outing Thursday night against the Mets in which he needed 98 pitches to throw 3 2/3 innings.

The Nationals will hope Ogasawara finds a consistent rhythm pitching every five days for Rochester. They’ll hope the same for Herz, who was among the team’s bigger disappointments this spring.

The 24-year-old impressed during his 19-game rookie season, going 4-9 with a 4.16 ERA and 1.263 WHIP but dazzling with several dominant starts that rivaled any thrown by any member of the 2024 rotation.

Herz, though, never looked himself this spring, his velocity diminished and his results shaky (6.52 ERA, 1.966 WHIP, nine walks, four strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings). He admitted the fatigue in his arm, something he said he has typically dealt with in past spring trainings.

The organization likely didn’t enter the spring believing Nuñez would be in the mix for a spot on the Opening Day roster, sticking with the plan to have the young infielder gain needed experience as an everyday player at Triple-A after spending all of 2024 watching from the big league bench as a Rule 5 Draft pick. But Nuñez forced the issue with an eye-opening performance that included a .419 batting average, seven stolen bases and elite defense at shortstop.

In the end, the Nationals stuck with the original plan, which could actually be interpreted as their legitimate belief in him long-term. If anything happens to starting shortstop CJ Abrams, they would almost certainly promote Nuñez to take over.

Nuñez's demotion, combined with Andrés Chaparro’s oblique strain, leaves two remaining candidates for the final spot on the bench: José Tena and Juan Yepez. Tena would provide a left-handed bat and backup third base option behind Paul DeJong. Yepez would provide a right-handed bat who can play the corner infield positions and left field if needed.

Millas had a shot to win the No. 2 catcher’s job but struggled this spring, going just 1-for-18 at the plate. More surprising than that were his struggles in the field, belying his reputation as a strong defensive catcher.

Millas’ demotion leaves Riley Adams and Andrew Knizner competing to back up Keibert Ruiz. Adams, who is out of options, hit two homers early in camp but is just 4-for-19 overall. Knizner, who was signed to a minor league deal, is 3-for-23 at the plate but has a stronger defensive reputation.