Beeter walked one and struck out two in a scoreless eighth inning Thursday during a 2-1 loss to the Mets.
The right-hander was activated off the IL earlier in the day and was immediately thrust into a high-leverage spot, taking over from Cade Cavalli in a one-run game. Beeter has been sidelined since April 21 due to forearm soreness, but in his absence no one staked a strong claim to the Nationals' closer job -- Gus Varland leads the team with four saves to Beeter's two. Control remains the biggest obstacle between Beeter and the gig, and through 11.1 innings this season he has a 3.18 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 11:9 K:BB.