Salazar heads back to Triple-A; Williams and Gallo slowly progressing

The Nationals used the days before and after the All-Star break to carry an extra reliever. Turns out they only used him once before sending him back to the minors.

Eduardo Salazar, who impressed in his July 14 outing against the Brewers, was optioned to Triple-A Rochester this afternoon, a move necessitated by the return of DJ Herz, who starts tonight’s series opener against the Padres.

Salazar, who posted eye-popping numbers in nine games with Rochester after the Nationals claimed him off waivers from the Mariners last month, was called up for the final two days before the All-Star break when the club could afford to carry a ninth reliever. He pitched two innings in the first half finale in Milwaukee, striking out four batters with a sharp-breaking slider, though he also issued two walks in that game.

The Nats kept the nine-man bullpen for last weekend’s series but never summoned Salazar while sweeping the Reds. So the 26-year-old now heads back to Triple-A, where he’ll hope to make an impression again and earn his way back to the majors.

“I think we will see more eventually,” manager Davey Martinez said. “The thing about it that’s tough is, one, he’s got options. Two, he’s a depth piece for us. But he threw the ball really well. So I’m sure we’ll see more of Salazar.”

Salazar likely was the victim of the options game. He could still be sent down without first being exposed to waivers. The same isn’t true of the two relievers who have struggled most of the season: Jordan Weems and Tanner Rainey. If the Nationals decide to part with one or both of those right-handers, they would have to designate them for assignment, then wait to see if they cleared waivers before outrighting them to Triple-A and off the 40-man roster.

For now, the Nats bullpen includes closer Kyle Finnegan; veteran right-handers Dylan Floro, Derek Law and Jacob Barnes; left-handers Robert Garcia and Jose A. Ferrer; plus Rainey and Weems.

* Herz rejoins the Nationals rotation after a two-week stint in Rochester designed to limit his workload and conserve innings for later this season. He may not feel a whole lot of pressure from anyone trying to take his roster spot for a while.

Josiah Gray departed for Dallas today in advance of Wednesday’s scheduled elbow surgery. Orthopedist Keith Meister won’t know until he gets a firsthand look at Gray’s partially torn ulnar collateral ligament whether he’ll need Tommy John surgery, the less invasive internal brace procedure or a combination of the two.

Cade Cavalli, now 16 months removed from his Tommy John surgery, remains in D.C. through the next few days before he heads to West Palm Beach, Fla., to ramp up again after doing very little in the last month following a case of the flu and a bout of “dead arm.”

And Trevor Williams, on the injured list for nearly two months with a right flexor muscle strain, is only set to throw off a mound for the first time next week. “We’ll see how that goes,” Martinez said. “But he’s still quite a bit a ways away.”

* Joey Gallo, out since June 12 with a left hamstring strain, hasn’t been cleared yet to run at full speed. Once he crosses that hurdle, the veteran first baseman will be able to advance his rehab program and eventually get at-bats in minor league games before he can come off the IL.

“It’s just about him running sprints,” Martinez said. “He’s done everything else. I’d say he’s about 75-80 percent, so he’s getting close.”