Back in majors, Adams hopes to stay this time

SEATTLE – Aside from one game at Triple-A right after last summer’s trade, Riley Adams had spent his entire time in the Nationals organization in the majors, finishing out the final two months of the 2021 season in D.C. and then spending the first three months of this season here. So when he was summoned into manager Davey Martinez’s office July 1 and informed he was being demoted to Rochester, the 26-year-old catcher was somewhat taken aback.

Adams, though, decided to try to make the most of a bad situation. In the major leagues, he was starting one or two games a week as Keibert Ruiz’s backup. In the minors, he would start four times a week as the Red Wings’ No. 1 catcher.

“You never want to get sent down. It’s not the best feeling,” he said. “But I saw it as an opportunity to go down there and get at-bats and get as many reps as possible. I tried to take advantage as much as I could. I’m just happy to be back now.”

Adams was back in the Nationals’ clubhouse Tuesday, called back up prior to their series opener against the Mariners, with Tres Barrera optioned to Rochester in a swap of catchers.

Playing time will be more limited now, but manager Davey Martinez did throw Adams right into the lineup Tuesday, with left-hander Robbie Ray on the mound for Seattle and Erick Fedde (who had just made a rehab start for Rochester) making his first start off the injured list. He went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts but did help guide Fedde through five strong innings in his return to the mound.

Despite missing a bit of time with a minor wrist injury, Adams had modest offensive success at Triple-A, producing a .728 OPS with eight doubles, four homers and 17 RBIs over 123 plate appearances. The Nationals now hope that translates into more production at this level.

“I think with anything, the more consistent reps you can get, the more comfortable you feel, from both sides,” Adams said. “From hitting and as well from catching, working with pitchers on how you’re attacking hitters. The more time, the more reps you get there, it’s huge.”

Though they made the move seven weeks ago because of Adams’ struggles, the Nationals never intended for it to be permanent.

“We’ve always had in mind to bring him back,” Martinez said. “We wanted, as I’ve talked about, to get him a bunch of at-bats and we thought it was time to get him back up here, get him some reps up here. It’s good to see him. I think he deserves to be back up here.”

Though he did start a couple of games at first base in Rochester, Adams continues to focus on catching, and that’s where the Nats want his attention to remain. They know he’s not going to supplant Ruiz for the starting job, but they also know they need a reliable backup, one who can be relied upon to call a good game and hopefully provide some offense as a bonus.

It’s also telling that the Nationals had Adams working regularly with top pitching prospect Cade Cavalli at Triple-A. Cavalli has been on a sustained run of success over his last 13 starts, and there’s reason to believe he’s going to be making his major league debut within the next few weeks.

Adams certainly likes what he’s seen out of the hard-throwing right-hander.

“I caught him a decent amount the last month and a half I was there, and he looks really good,” Adams said. “Commanding all four pitches, throwing it well. The slider was probably the pitch I knew the least about. I knew he had a good curveball, and the changeup was really good. But the slider has looked really good, and I think all his pitches complement well. He’s going up there, and every time I catch him, I’m excited. I know he likes to get after it, he likes to compete. He’s a fun one to catch, for sure.”