Nationals recall right-hander Reynaldo Lopez

The Washington Nationals recalled right-handed pitcher Reynaldo Lopez from Triple-A Syracuse on Saturday. Nationals president of baseball operations and general manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.

Lopez returns to the Nationals for the second start of his major league career, which he will make Saturday afternoon in San Francisco. The 22-year-old made his major league debut on July 19 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. In that outing, Lopez struck out nine batters, the second-most by a starting pitcher in his debut in Nationals history (2005-present). Only Stephen Strasburg (14, June 8, 2014 vs. PIT) fanned more in his big league debut.

Following that start Lopez was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse where, on July 24, he tossed his first career shutout. Lopez allowed just four hits while striking out seven as the Chiefs topped the Rochester Red Wings (MIN) 6-0.

In 17 starts between Double-A Harrisburg and Syracuse this season, Lopez is 5-5 with a 2.90 ERA. He leads Washington's minor league system with 116 strikeouts and, among minor league pitchers with at least 95.0 innings pitched this season, he ranks fourth in strikeouts-per-nine-innings (10.84).

Lopez entered the 2016 season as the Nationals' No. 5 prospect and the No. 92 prospect in all of baseball, per Baseball America. In their 2016 mid-season update, Baseball America advanced Lopez 44 spots and ranked him as the No. 48 prospect in Minor League Baseball.

A native of San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic, Lopez represented the Nationals at MLB's 2016 Sirius/XM All-Star Futures Game in San Diego earlier this month. In his one inning of work for the World Team, Lopez was clocked as high as 99 mph with his fastball.