Robles to start rehab assignment, Cavalli throws to live hitters

MIAMI – The Nationals had a few empty lockers in their clubhouse ahead of their series finale against the Marlins.

Victor Robles and Cade Cavalli both left the team to take the next steps in their respective rehabs.

Robles, on the 10-day injured list since April 4 with a left hamstring strain, is on his way to join Triple-A Rochester for a rehab assignment. The Red Wings start a six-game home series against Syracuse (Mets) tomorrow.

“He went out. He'll play. He's going to Rochester, so he'll start tomorrow,” manager Davey Martinez said during his pregame media session. “We'll get him out there and, like I said, we'll take it as quick but as slow as possible in the same breath. Just want to make sure he's completely healthy.”

Robles didn’t record a hit in four big league games to start the year, but did draw three walks in five plate appearances for a .600 on-base percentage while also stealing two bags and scoring two runs. Injuries limited him to 36 games last year.

While the Nats ease him back into game shape, Robles will alternate between playing the outfield and serving as the designated hitter in the coming days.

“I'd like for him to play, DH, play,” Martinez said. “But knowing him, if he feels good, he's probably gonna want to play the field. So I told them to keep an eye on him and see how he's doing. Let's kind of see where he's at after a couple of days.”

Obviously, Robles will need to get some at-bats, of which he has very few so far this year, but he also will need to run the bases to make sure the hamstring is healed and ready to handle a daily workload.

“One is to get good at bats, see pitches. Two is to run the bases,” Martinez said. “Hopefully, he can go down, get on base, steal some bases and play the outfield. We're gonna watch his first step and go from there.”

Once it is determined that Robles is ready to return, the Nats will have a difficult decision to make to clear room for him on the roster. Jacob Young has been the spark plug the Nats needed in the lineup, so it’s unlikely they will option him back to Rochester. Alex Call - who was recalled to take Joey Gallo’s spot when the first baseman/DH/outfielder landed on the IL Saturday with a left shoulder AC sprain - has performed well in just two games. He’s back in the lineup for tonight’s finale.

“It doesn't really make it hard. It's actually a really good problem to have,” Martinez said of the possible roster crunch. “I love the way these guys are playing right now. They're playing really well. Jacob is doing well. When (Robles) comes back, we'll have some decisions to make. So we'll see what happens. But he's got to get through this rehab first, and then we'll make those decisions when he's back.”

Cavalli, who joined the team in Miami on Friday, went back to West Palm Beach to throw his first live batting practice session. The right-hander is nearing the end of his rehab from last year’s Tommy John surgery and said facing live hitters for the first time is a big next step.

The reports from West Palm came in, and so far, so good.

“He threw really well,” Martinez said. “Velo was 95-98 mph, averaged 96. He threw, I think, 14 out of 20 strikes. So he looked good. We're excited about that. We're gonna keep building him up and hopefully we keep going in the right direction.”

The former first-round pick and top pitching prospect was supposed to be a key piece in the Nats’ young rotation last year. But the injury delayed his return to the majors until this season, with his target date to return remaining sometime in June or July. Cavalli also expects to start his own minor league rehab assignment in mid-May.

With this next box checked, how happy are the Nats to be getting closer to Cavalli’s return?

“Strikes. Strike one makes me really happy. And that's what he's doing,” Martinez said. “His focus was to throw strikes. The velo, I really feel like it'll be there. But it's getting him back on the bump, consistency and pounding that strike zone.”

* Here are the pitching probables for the Nats’ series against the Rangers this week in Arlington, Texas:

Tuesday – LHP MacKenzie Gore vs. RHP Jon Gray
Wednesday – RHP Trevor Williams vs. LHP Andrew Heaney
Thursday – LHP Mitchell Parker vs. RHP Nathan Eovaldi

Gore’s locker was also empty in the Nats clubhouse, as the lefty departed this afternoon for Dallas-Fort Worth to spend the night in Texas in preparation for his series-opening start tomorrow night.

He was DFW’d.

I’ll see myself out.