Solís optioned to Syracuse, weekend rotation announced

The Nationals will open the second half of their season Friday with at least one change to their roster.

Struggling reliever Sammy Solís was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse, the club announced today. A corresponding move will be made before Friday's second-half opener in Cincinnati.

Solís' demotion comes less than two weeks after he was activated off the disabled list following a long rehab from nerve inflammation in his elbow. The left-hander, who had been out 2 1/2 months, surrendered a home run to the first batter he faced upon his return July 1 in St. Louis and was scored upon in each of his four relief appearances.

"Right now, there's not much to say really," Solís said after allowing four runs in one-third of an inning Saturday against the Braves. "Guys are seeing it. That's part of baseball and part of coming off an injury: fine-tuning everything, and find a way to miss some bats. Right now, I'm not."

It remains to be seen how the Nationals will fill Solís' spot in the bullpen coming out of the All-Star break, but they have a few intriguing options.

Top pitching prospect Erick Fedde recently returned to the Syracuse rotation after spending two months pitching in relief. Right-hander Wander Suero has turned heads this season, posting a 2.01 ERA and a 47-to-10 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 33 combined relief appearances with Syracuse and Double-A Harrisburg. Veteran Edwin Jackson has not surrendered a run in 17 1/3 innings starting for Syracuse. And 35-year-old former closer Francisco Rodriguez has made four appearances since signing a minor league contract with the Nationals.

Meanwhile, the Nationals announced their rotation order for this weekend's series against the Reds. Gio Gonzalez will start Friday night's opener, with All-Star starter Max Scherzer taking the mound Saturday, Tanner Roark following on Sunday and Stephen Strasburg (who hasn't pitched since a shaky outing last Saturday against the Braves) pitching Monday's finale of the wraparound series.

The Nationals haven't yet announced who will start Tuesday night in Anaheim, Calif., with Joe Ross' status following an MRI of his right triceps muscle not yet revealed.