WASHINGTON -- Nationals right-handers Erik Davis and Taylor Hill, who were designated for assignment this month to make room for second baseman Daniel Murphy and infielder Stephen Drew, respectively, have been outrighted to Triple-A Syracuse. Both players have been invited to Spring Training.
The Nats had 10 days to trade, reassign or release Davis and Hill. Last season, Davis appeared in a combined 37 games for Class A Advanced Potomac, Double-A Harrisburg and Syracuse, going 1-2 with three saves and a 3.88 ERA.
Davis, who missed the 2014 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery on April 2, 2014, made his big league debut in '13. He posted a 3.12 ERA in 10 appearances during a pair of stints with the Nationals.
Hill, meanwhile, appeared in nine Major League games over the past two seasons, going 0-1 with a 6.00 ERA.
Hill's only big league start came on Sept. 26, 2014, vs. Miami. In 111 Minor League games spanning five seasons, Hill has gone 34-35 with a 3.84 ERA. He was a sixth-round pick in the 2011 Draft out of Vanderbilt University.