The Washington Nationals selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Erick Fedde from Triple-A Syracuse on Sunday and granted outfielder Chris Heisey his release. On Saturday evening, catcher Pedro Severino was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse but recalled as the Nationals' 26th man for Sunday's doubleheader against the Colorado Rockies. Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo made the announcements.
Fedde, 24, joins the Nationals for the first Major League assignment of his professional career. A former first-round selection (No. 18 overall) in the 2014 First-Year Player Draft, Fedde is 4-4 with a 3.72 ERA in 27 Minor League games this season. The right-hander has made 11 starts this season, seven with Double-A Harrisburg and four with Triple-A Syracuse, and also pitched in relief for both clubs, making 16 total appearances out of the bullpen.
The hard-throwing righty entered the 2017 season rated as the No. 2 prospect in the Nationals' organization and the No. 48 overall prospect in the Minor Leagues, per Baseball America. After enjoying the first Major League Spring Training invitation of his career, Fedde opened the season with Harrisburg, where he posted a 3.16 ERA in seven starts before shifting to the bullpen where he was 1-0 with a 2.63 ERA in 13.2 innings of work (10 games).
After his promotion to Triple-A in mid-June, Fedde posted a 3.86 ERA at the advanced level in six games out of the Chiefs' bullpen. He then shifted back to the starting rotation, where he was for his last four outings, before getting the call to the big leagues.
A native of Las Vegas, Nev., Fedde becomes a teammate of Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper for the second time, as the two played together at Las Vegas High School.
Severino, 24, has appeared in four games since being recalled on July 23 for his first Major League assignment of the season. He is 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Hitting .221 with two doubles, one triple, four homers, 26 RBI, 10 walks and 15 runs scored in 49 games between Triple-A Syracuse and short-season Single-A Auburn, Severino hit safely in 17 of 24 games before his call to the big leagues last week.
Heisey, 32, was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a left groin strain on July 23. The 32-year-old outfielder has hit .162 (12 for-74) with three doubles, one triple, one home run, and five RBI in 38 games off the Nationals' bench this season. This was his second disabled list stint of the season after he missed 40 games with a right biceps rupture earlier this year. In 2016 for the Nationals, Heisey was 30-for-139 (.216) with three doubles, one triple, nine home runs, 13 walks and 17 RBI. In Game 5 of the NLDS vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers, Heisey clubbed the first Postseason pinch-hit home run in Nationals history (2005-present).