Rutledge finds himself back with Nats, but now in new role

Jackson Rutledge was called into Davey Martinez’s office April 26, the day before Opening Day, and informed he would not be returning to Nationals Park the following morning but rather heading to Rochester to open another season at Triple-A.

Rutledge wasn’t shocked by the decision. And if nothing else, he was encouraged by the message he received from Martinez and pitching coach Jim Hickey, who suggested he would be first on the list of call-ups if the team needed a pitcher.

“In my option meeting, they said: ‘Be ready. It could be a week,’” Rutledge recalled Friday. “And they weren’t lying about that.”

No, they weren’t. Technically, it happened eight days later, not seven, but the Nationals indeed called Rutledge up as soon as they needed a pitcher from Triple-A, giving him the roster spot held by Michael Soroka before the latter had to be placed on the 15-day injured list with a right biceps strain.

This is actually the fifth time Rutledge has been promoted since September 2023. But it’s the first time he’s been promoted as a full-time reliever.

After a modest career as a starting prospect, the 2019 first-round pick was converted to the bullpen this spring, club officials believing that was now his best path back to the majors, not to mention his best chance of staying up here long-term.

They like that Rutledge’s fastball plays up in shorter bursts, something they saw this spring during his one- and two-inning appearances.

“He had some days where he looked really, really good and he was throwing strikes and he was commanding all his pitches, which was great,” Martinez said. “I expect that he comes up here today and continues to do that.”

Rutledge, for his part, believes the adjustment in roles has gone well. He was already preparing himself mentally this spring for the new job, and the initial results with Rochester – three scoreless innings over two outings – were positive.

“Honestly, it’s been really good. It’s been a smooth transition,” he said. “I’m a pretty routine-oriented guy, so coming in and doing the same thing every day is probably good for me. It’s been good as far as being locked in, in the bullpen and focusing on being able to get hot real quick.”

For a former top prospect who always believed he’d be a starter in the big leagues, the move to a relief role could be viewed as something of a demotion. It’s probably fair to say this is a last-resort move by the Nationals, who have assembled other promising young starters but aren’t ready to give up on Rutledge altogether.

The 26-year-old isn’t thinking of it that way, though. He has fully embraced the switch and is excited about the possibilities. Especially now that he’s back in D.C., barely a week after he left town.

“I’d rather be in the bullpen in the big leagues than starting in Triple-A,” he said. “Every day, I’m trying to help the big league team win. I think I have a great chance to do that, and I think I can do this for a lot of years.”