Jeremy Hellickson and Brandon Kintzler pitched Sunday for Class A Potomac on rehab assignments, which they hoped would be their final steps before coming off the disabled list and returning to the Washington Nationals. Kintzler tossed a perfect sixth inning in relief, needing just 12 pitches to secure three outs. Hellickson started, and it didn’t go nearly as well for him.
Hellickson allowed 11 runs in 4 2/3 innings against the Wilmington Blue Rocks. That’s the same number of earned runs he has allowed in nine starts for the Nationals this season. He surrendered nine hits and two home runs, including a grand slam. He walked three and struck out four. It was, on paper, a disastrous outing. Nationals Manager Dave Martinez, however, insisted the club isn’t worried about the results.
“I’m more concerned with the way he feels,” Martinez said. “We’ll go from there.”
Hellickson, 31, was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a strained hamstring June 5. He had tossed a couple of bullpens before Sunday’s outing, which he entered intent on throwing around 85 pitches. In that regard, it was a success: Hellickson logged 83 pitches. But the rest was ugly. Whether that matters remains unclear.
Without Hellickson — and Stephen Strasburg, who landed on the disabled list five days after Hellickson — the Nationals have been forced to rely on Erick Fedde and Jefry Rodriguez for starts. The recent struggles of Tanner Roark and Gio Gonzalez have exacerbated the rotation troubles, something Washington can ill afford as a club that depends on starting pitching.
Hellickson signed a minor league deal in March and replaced A.J. Cole as Washington’s fifth starter in mid-April. He pitched to a 2.28 ERA before his injury.
Meanwhile, the 33-year-old Kintzler has been on the disabled list since June 10 with a right forearm flexor strain and is expected to travel with the Nationals to Tampa Bay, where they will begin a two-game series against the Rays on Monday. He will return to a bullpen that has since added Kelvin Herrera, perhaps altering his role some after he joined the Nationals last July as their seventh-inning reliever.
Notes:
• Strasburg played catch again on the field Sunday at Nationals Park — at least the third time he has thrown since going on the DL with right shoulder inflammation.
“He is progressing, yeah,” Martinez said. “And he’s doing well. So we’ll keep doing his throwing progression and figure out when he can actually throw from the mound.”
• The Nationals announced Sunday that they had agreed to terms with four more of their draft picks: right-hander Reid Schaller (third round), right-hander Jake Irvin (fourth round), right-hander Chandler Day (seventh round) and shortstop Kyle Marinconz (24th round).
Schaller is the second-highest pick that Nationals have signed. He posted a 3.77 ERA in 28 2/3 innings for Vanderbilt this season. Nationals first-round pick Mason Denaburg, a right-handed pitcher, remains unsigned.
PHILLIES (41-33)
Cesar Hernandez 2B
Rhys Hoskins LF
Odubel Herrera CF
Carlos Santana 1B
Nick Williams RF
Scott Kingery SS
Andrew Knapp C
Maikel Franco 3B
Nick Pivetta P
NATIONALS (40-35)
Trea Turner SS
Bryce Harper RF
Anthony Rendon 3B
Juan Soto LF
Daniel Murphy 1B
Michael A. Taylor CF
Wilmer Difo 2B
Pedro Severino C
Jefry Rodriguez P
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