The Washington Nationals recalled right-handed pitcher AJ Cole from Triple-A Syracuse on Thursday and optioned outfielder Brian Goodwin to Syracuse. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcement.
Cole, 24, joins the Nationals for his first Major League call-up of the 2016 season. The right-hander is 8-8 with a 4.26 ERA in 22 starts for Triple-A Syracuse this year. Making his Major League debut in 2015, Cole appeared in three games (one start) for Washington in 2015 and pitched well in two relief appearances: 0-0, 2.45 ERA (2 ER/7.1 IP) with eight strikeouts, no walks, and one save.
A fourth-round selection of the Nationals in the 2010 MLB First-Year Player Draft, Cole is 46-39 with a 3.63 ERA over the course of his Minor League career.
Goodwin, 25, went 4-for-16 (.250) with one walk and two RBI in the first Major League assignment of his career. The former first-round pick (No. 34 overall, 2011) collected the first hit of his Major League career on Aug. 10 vs. Cleveland and posted the first multi-hit game of his career on Aug. 17 at Colorado (2-for-3, RBI).