Why Solis made most sense for Nats bullpen right now

When Matt Belisle strained his right calf in the eighth inning last night, the Nationals knew they needed to summon a reinforcement for their bullpen, and they immediately placed a call to Triple-A Syracuse to give that new pitcher as much opportunity as possible to get on a plane to Washington in time for tonight's game against the Phillies.

The name of that reinforcement, though, may have surprised some. Rather than call up another right-hander to fill Belisle's role, the Nationals instead turned to left-hander Sammy Solis.

There were multiple reasons for the seemingly unconventional move:

* The Nationals needed to make sure they had a fresh reliever capable of throwing multiple innings tonight, with long man Yusmeiro Petit still recovering from Sunday's 77-pitch appearance.

* Solis has pitched exceptionally well so far at Syracuse, allowing just one run in nine innings, striking out 14 while walking only three.

* The Nationals are entering a stretch where they'll face a host of left-handed-heavy lineups, emphasizing the need for a third southpaw in their bullpen for now.

"It just so happens that he can give you multiple innings," manager Dusty Baker said. "He hasn't pitched in a while, in three or four days because of the rainouts and off-days (in Syracuse). It's the best of a bad situation. And it's heaven-sent, really, being left-handed. He could've pitched last night, but this is perfect."

Once a highly touted starting prospect whom the Nationals selected with the first pick of the second round of the 2010 draft (precisely one round behind Bryce Harper), Solis initially saw his career derailed by major arm injuries (including a torn elbow ligament that required Tommy John surgery). But he has reinvented himself in the last two years as a reliever and wound up making his big league debut last season via that route.

Solis posted a 3.38 ERA in 18 appearances for the Nationals in 2015. Now back in the majors, he admits he's better prepared for this situation.

"I'm not shaking in my boots anymore," he said. "I'm a little more comfortable now, and hopefully ready to contribute. ...

"I think the whole thing has come around now where I think I'm a reliever now. I kind of identify as one instead of a starter."

The Nationals expect to need Solis, who joins Felipe Rivero and Oliver Perez as the Nationals' new trio of left-handed relievers. Among the prominent left-handed hitters they'll be facing in the next two weeks: the Phillies' Ryan Howard; the Cardinals' Matt Carpenter and Matt Adams; the Royals' Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas and Alex Gordon; and the Cubs' Anthony Rizzo and Jason Heyward.

"I don't know too much. I just know they have a couple big hitters - Ryan Howard, Anthony Rizzo and those kind of guys - that are definitely tough outs," Solis said. "But I think having a little more velocity from the left side, it definitely can't hurt. We'll see how it works out."