Lucas Giolito to make major league debut Tuesday vs. Mets

The long wait is finally almost over as top Nationals pitching prospect Lucas Giolito will make his major league debut and start Tuesday against the Mets, manager Dusty Baker confirmed today in his pregame press briefing.

The announcement comes after much speculation that the Nats would recall either the right-handed Giolito or 24-year-old right-hander Austin Voth to make a spot start with Stephen Strasburg landing on the 15-day disabled list yesterday with an upper back strain. With Giolito starting tomorrow, the Nationals will have to make room for him on the 40-man roster, and can do so by moving right-hander Taylor Jordan to the 60-day disabled list while he recovers from Tommy John surgery.

Giolito, a Tommy John surgery recoveree himself, was selected by the Nationals with the 16th-overall pick in the 2012 First-Year Player Draft out of Harvard-Westlake High School in Studio City, Calif. Ever since, his debut with the big league club has been long awaited.

Baker expressed confidence in Giolito today by saying, "He's ready for the task." Baker also stated that it is "impossible to answer" how long Giolito will be with the Nats and they just will take it start-by-start.

The 21-year-old, who has never pitched above Double-A Harrisburg, is 5-3 with a 3.17 ERA in 14 starts for the Senators so far this year. He went through a dominant five-week stretch from May 9 to June 16, going 5-0 with a 0.94 ERA in 47 2/3 innings over eight starts. In that same span, he struck out 52 batters while only walking 15. However, Giolito did get roughed up in his last outing on June 22, giving up five earned runs on seven hits with four walks in 4 2/3 innings at Portland.

Giolito is 24-13 with a 2.74 ERA over five minor league seasons, and 9-5 with a 3.42 ERA in 22 starts over two Double-A seasons.

Meanwhile, Strasburg underwent an MRI this morning, and, unlike Giolito now, the Nationals are still awaiting the results.