Cavalli, Mikolas appeal suspensions over melee with Red Sox

WASHINGTON -- Both Cade Cavalli and Miles Mikolas have appealed their suspensions in the wake of Tuesday’s benches-clearing incident in Boston.

Cavalli initially received a seven-game suspension for his actions initiating and during the onfield incident, while Mikolas was suspended five games for his actions once the benches cleared.

Mikolas is scheduled to pitch on Sunday against the Pirates, while Cavalli is lined up to start on Monday against the Astros.

On Wednesday morning at Fenway Park, Cavalli expressed remorse for the words he shouted at Boston’s Willson Contreras after a strikeout.

Back at Nationals Park on Friday, Cavalli reiterated that he has learned from the incident and his choice of words.

“It’s been a tough couple of days,” Cavalli said. “It’s been tough to sleep. I never thought in a million years I’d be in this situation. I know where my heart is. I’ve learned that the people around me know where my heart is. The unwavering support from my teammates, my family and this staff, I’m just very grateful for them.”

Cavalli said he has not reached out to, or heard from, Contreras.

“I wish him the best, and I just hope that we can move on from this and respect each other,” Cavalli said. “If I see him in person, this is a conversation that we’re going to have. I think he understands that we’re both high competitors and it’s part of what makes us who we are. That’s nothing to shy away from. We just want to do it in a respectful way.”

Manager Blake Butera was noncommittal about potential pitching plans should either Mikolas or Cavalli be unavailable to start in the coming days.

Much will depend on the appeals process and how many arms might be needed to get through the next few games. But if alternatives are needed to fill the void for Cavalli or Mikolas, there could be in-house options.

Right-handed reliever Brad Lord has been leaned on for multiple innings out of the bullpen, most recently as an opener Wednesday in Boston. Righty Riley Cornelio, who has made nine starts with Triple-A Rochester this season and is now working out of the Nationals’ bullpen, is another in-house option who could provide length.

“I feel strong and I feel good,” said Cornelio, the Nationals’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2025. “I’ve started before, so I have a solid routine I can lean on if I need to go back to that. I feel like I’m in a good position to bring whatever they need, whether that’s length out of the ‘pen or a start or whatever it is."