Nationals' former phenom returning to MLB to make start after 3 years away

This return has been a long time coming.

On Wednesday, Cade Cavalli will be back in the major leagues for the Washington Nationals.

Cavalli hasn't started in MLB since Aug. 26, 2022, but he's going to get the ball on Wednesday, according to the Washington Post's Andrew Golden.

Loyal Nats followers will know that that was actually the only outing Cavalli has ever had in the majors.

That day, the big righty went 4.1 innings and allowed seven runs while striking out six.

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Cavalli missed the entire 2023 season due to injury, and he made just three appearances in 2024.

This season, he's made 15 of his 17 outings at Triple-A Rochester. There, he has a 6.09 ERA with 72 strikeouts in 65 innings.

Cavalli was supposed to be so much more than this.

In 2022, the Nats picked him No. 22 overall out of Oklahoma.

He was a top-30 prospect in the entire sport entering the 2022 season, via Baseball America's rankings.

Even the next two years, Baseball Prospectus and MLB Pipeline ranked Cavalli as a top-100 guy.

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But the injuries and lack of action have the 26-year old just hoping to get his career back on track.

After the Nationals sold at the trade deadline, the door has opened for Cavalli. He hasn't pitched well in the minors this year, but maybe he can still make it in the show.

His first chance to try and prove he belongs will come Wednesday, and Cavalli and the Nationals will be hoping he gets to make a second start this time around.

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