Nationals' Jackson Kent: Struggles again in second loss
Rotowire
Kent (0-2) took the loss against the Marlins on Sunday, allowing three runs on four hits and three walks in 4.2 innings. He struck out five.
Two of Kent's hits allowed went for extra bases Sunday, and he couldn't escape Miami's two-run fifth inning. The rookie left-hander hasn't fared well in his first taste of big-league action, conceding at least three runs while failing to work into the sixth frame in each of his first three starts. He's set to take a poor 8.03 ERA, 2.11 WHIP and 14:11 K:BB over 12.1 innings into a home rematch with the Marlins.
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Nationals' Jackson Kent: Struggles in first MLB loss
Rotowire
Kent (0-1) took the loss Tuesday against the Rangers, allowing five runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out three over 3.2 innings.
Kent struggled to settle in Tuesday, allowing a run in the first inning before Justin Foscue took him deep for a solo homer in the second. Things unraveled in the third, when Kent surrendered three more runs, including one on a bases-loaded walk. The 23-year-old left-hander has now allowed eight runs with a 9:8 K:BB across 7.2 innings through his first two major-league starts after posting a 4.38 ERA and 1.25 WHIP across 63.2 innings in 13 starts at Triple-A Rochester. He's lined up to face the Marlins on the road Sunday in his next start.
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Nationals' Jackson Kent: Next start coming Tuesday
Rotowire
Kent is listed as the Nationals' probable starting pitcher for Tuesday's game against the Rangers at Globe Life Field, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports.
The 23-year-old lefty will return to the hill after an uneven MLB debut last Wednesday, when he held the Cubs scoreless through the first four innings before unraveling in the fifth. Kent ended up settling for a no-decision, recording six strikeouts while giving up three earned runs on three hits and five walks. Though his strong 7.8 percent walk rate over 94.1 innings in the minors this season offers hope that the shaky control he showed against the Cubs was an outlier performance, Kent will probably need to string together a few quality performances in the majors before fantasy managers can use him with a higher degree of confidence.
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Nationals' Jackson Kent: Chased in fifth inning in MLB debut
Rotowire
Kent took a no-decision against the Cubs on Wednesday, allowing three runs on three hits and five walks in four-plus innings. He struck out six.
Kent delivered four scoreless innings to open the game, but he was unable to record an out in the fifth after allowing three consecutive baserunners in the frame. The 23-year-old southpaw was making his MLB debut Wednesday, and he's looking at a potentially extended stay in Washington's rotation while the Nationals wait on Connelly Early (elbow) to get healthy. Kent's next outing is tentatively projected to come in Texas.
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Nationals' Jackson Kent: Promoted ahead of MLB debut
Rotowire
The Nationals selected Kent's contract from Triple-A Rochester ahead of his scheduled start Wednesday versus the Cubs in Washington, D.C.
Washington designated right-hander Miles Mikolas for assignment to open up a spot on the 40-man roster and 26-man active roster for Kent, who will be making his MLB debut Wednesday and looks poised to stick in the rotation for the balance of the season. The 23-year-old lefty has split time between Rochester and Double-A Harrisburg this season, pitching to a 3.72 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 19.4 K-BB% across 94.1 innings.
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Nationals' Jackson Kent: Debuting Wednesday
Rotowire
The Nationals will promote Kent from Triple-A Rochester to start Wednesday's game against the Cubs, Kyle Williams of TheBanner.com reports.
Kent began the season at Double-A Harrisburg but is now officially set for his second promotion of the year after posting a 4.38 ERA and 1.25 WHIP across 63.2 innings in 13 starts at Rochester. The Nationals already have an open spot in their rotation after designating Zack Littell for assignment last week, so Kent could remain with the big club for the rest of the season if he hits the ground running in the majors.
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Nationals' Jackson Kent: Velocity jump at Double-A
Rotowire
Kent has seen his velocity jump significantly this season, Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic reports.
An unheralded left-hander taken in the fourth round of the 2024 draft, Kent struggled to a 5.59 ERA in six starts last season with Double-A Harrisburg as his pitchability couldn't make up for a mediocre fastball in the low 90s. This year in a return to Double-A, the 23-year-old is popping 95 mph, and the result has been a 3.14 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 20:4 K:BB in his first 14.1 innings. Kent has a long way to go to get on the prospect radar, but he flashes a plus changeup and has elite extension along with a couple of work-in-progress breaking pitches, so the foundation is there for a big-league arsenal if his development curve continues pointing up.
