Nationals reinstate Avila, select Baldonado

The Washington Nationals returned from rehab assignment and reinstated catcher Alex Avila from the 10-day Injured List and selected the contract of left-handed pitcher Alberto Baldonado on Wednesday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcements. Avila, 34, returns to the active roster after missing 52 games with bilateral calf strains. Prior to being placed on the Injured List on July 3 (retroactive to July 2), Avila made 23 starts, reaching base safely in 18 of them. Seven of his 11 hits this season have been for extra bases (6 doubles, 1 triple). Baldonado, 28, went 6-1 with a 2.88 ERA (13 ER/40.2 IP) with 47 strikeouts, nine walks and 32 hits allowed in 34 appearances between Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Rochester. He went 3-0 with a 1.13 ERA (1 ER / 8.0 IP) with four hits, one run and 11 strikeouts in six appearances with the Senators before being promoted to the Red Wings on May 26. His first appearance for the Nationals will mark his Major League debut. A native of Colón, Panama, Baldonado is 24-26 with a 3.59 ERA in 282 outings across 11 professional seasons. He joined the Nationals organization after signing as a free agent on January 6, 2021. Baldonado was originally signed by the New York Mets as a non-drafted free agent in 2009.