Jake Irvin will come off the 60-day injured list to make his first start in more than two months when the Washington Nationals open their four-game series against the host Atlanta Braves on Thursday.
The Nationals lost to Toronto 5-2 on Wednesday in the rubber game of their three-game set and finished 3-3 on their homestand. The Braves split a doubleheader at the New York Mets on Wednesday, losing the opener 3-2 and winning the nightcap 1-0.
Atlanta leads the Nationals 4-3 in the season series. Washington took two of three in Atlanta on May 22-24.
Right-hander Irvin (2-4, 5.23 ERA) will be opposed by Atlanta left-hander Grant Holmes (6-4, 3.79) in the series opener.
Irvin went on the injured list with a right shoulder strain on May 24. He has looked good in three minor league rehab starts, throwing 11 1/3 scoreless innings, striking out 12 with one walk.
In his last major league start, Irvin fired five scoreless, no-hit innings against the host Braves, striking out seven. Irvin has made nine career starts against Atlanta, going 3-3 with a 3.56 ERA.
Irvin is the second significant arm to return to the Nationals’ roster. Right-hander Trevor Williams came back on Wednesday and pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings to finish the game. He had been sidelined since having right UCL reconstruction surgery in July 2025.
Holmes has been a solid performer in both starts since returning from the All-Star break. He pitched five innings and allowed three runs in his last outing on Friday at Baltimore. It was his 13th straight appearance in which he has allowed three or fewer runs.
“I would have liked to have gone deeper in the game,” Holmes said afterward. “But having my pitch count being high in the second inning, I tried to get some early outs and just tried to make it through five. Wish I could have gone out there for the sixth, but it is what it is. We won at the end of the day.”
Holmes has made three career appearances (two starts) against Washington, going 0-1 with a 2.19 ERA. He faced the Nationals on May 23 and allowed two runs over five innings, fanning 10 in a 2-0 loss.
Washington manager Blake Butera said CJ Abrams will be back at shortstop on Thursday after serving at the DH on Wednesday. Abrams fouled a pitch off his calf on Tuesday against Toronto and it tightened up on him, so the team kept him off the infield as a precautionary measure.
“He was good to go at shortstop (Wednesday), but just wanted to give him a day in the middle of his 17 games in a row,” Butera said.
Abrams, an Atlanta native, is 18-for-40 (.450) with three doubles, seven home runs, 14 RBIs, 11 runs scored, five walks and four stolen bases in his last 10 games.
Atlanta slugger Ronald Acuna Jr. returned from missing 38 games with a left hamstring strain to face the Mets. He went 1-for-11 with one run scored, striking out four times in three games against New York.
Atlanta begins the series with a 6 1/2 game lead over Philadelphia in the National League. Washington is 8 1/2 games behind the Braves, tied with Miami, but only two games out of the final wild card.
–Field Level Media
