Nationals select contract of right-hander Dakota Bacus

By Pete Kerzel

Nationals

August 14, 2020, 11:57am

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The Washington Nationals selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Dakota Bacus and optioned right-handed pitcher Ryne Harper to the Alternate Training Site (Fredericksburg) on Friday. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.

Bacus, 29, joins the active roster for the first time in his career, and will make his Major League debut with his first appearance. In eight Minor League seasons entering the 2020 campaign, Bacus went 42-25 with 28 saves and a 3.53 ERA in 225 games (609.2 IP). He spent the majority of the 2019 season with Triple-A Fresno, going 5-5 with nine saves, a 3.58 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 46 games. His nine saves were tied for fourth among Nationals farmhands.

Bacus took part in his first Major League Spring Training in 2020 after an eight-year professional career that began with being selected by the Oakland Athletics in the ninth round of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft out of Indiana State University. He was originally acquired by the Nationals from Oakland in exchange for current Washington catcher Kurt Suzuki on Aug. 23, 2013 and re-signed with the Nationals following the 2019 season.

Harper, 31, appeared in eight games for Washington in 2020, going 1-0 with a 9.00 ERA along the way.