The Washington Nationals recalled right-handed pitcher Reynaldo Lopez from Triple-A Syracuse on Sunday. He will start Sunday night at Citi Field against the New York Mets. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.
Lopez will make the sixth start of his Major League career on Sunday. He enters this start 2-2 with a 5.33 ERA in the big leagues this season with starts against Los Angeles (NL), San Francisco, Atlanta (2), and Baltimore on his game log.
The 22-year-old native of the Dominican Republic has struck out 9.95 batters per nine innings in the Major Leagues and is just the fourth rookie pitcher in Nationals history (2005-present) to produce a double-digit strikeout game with his 11-strikeout performance at Atlanta on Aug. 18. He joined left-hander John Lannan, right-hander Joe Ross, and right-hander Stephen Strasburg in that category.
Lopez is 5-7 with a 3.21 ERA in 19 Minor League starts this year, spanning Double-A Harrisburg and Triple-A Syracuse. He has struck out 126 batters in 109.1 innings and held opposing batters to a .220 average against.
With the return of Lopez, the Nationals currently have 33 players on their active roster.