Voth will get today's start after Roark is pushed back

The Nationals are going to send Austin Voth, not Tanner Roark, to the mound Saturday afternoon.

Though Roark had previously been named their starter for the third game of a four-game weekend series with the Mets, the Nationals decided to push the veteran right-hander back and give him more time to recuperate following the birth of his third child.

Roark's wife, Amanda, gave birth earlier this week in Atlanta, where the pitcher spent four days while the Nationals played in Miami. He was back in the clubhouse today, but manager Davey Martinez didn't want to throw him right back out there without having another few days to get himself back into a baseball mindset.

"Tanner's had a long week," Martinez said.

Roark is now expected to pitch Wednesday against the Marlins in the Nationals' 2018 home finale. He'll try to end a disappointing season on a more positive note after going 9-15 with a 4.34 ERA in 31 games to date.

Voth, meanwhile, will get a chance to make only his second career start, his third career major league appearance.

The 26-year-old right-hander will be going up against the same Mets team he faced in his MLB debut in July, one in which he was roughed up for seven runs and nine hits in 4 1/3 innings. That was a spot start, after which Voth was sent back to Triple-A Syracuse. He has been back with Washington as a September call-up, though he has made only one relief appearance this month, tossing one scoreless inning against the Braves last week.

Voth, a fifth-round pick in the 2013 draft, went 6-8 with a 4.37 ERA in 24 starts for Syracuse this season.