Henry (0-1) took the loss Tuesday against the Mets, giving up an unearned run on one hit without retiring a batter.
Taking the mound in the bottom of the 10th inning with the score tied 4-4, Henry's first pitch was laced into right field by Jeff McNeil to bring home the phantom runner from second base. Henry has emerged as a reliable relief option for the Nationals this season, posting a 2.31 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 25:13 K:BB through his first 23.1 big-league innings, but he remains on the fringes of the team's high-leverage crew -- he has zero wins or saves and only two holds in 22 appearances.
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Nationals' Cole Henry: Impressive start to MLB career
Rotowire
Henry walked one and struck out four over two scoreless, no-hit relief innings in Thursday's loss to the Orioles.
The 25-year-old right-hander has had an injury-marred pro career since being selected in the second round of the 2020 First-Year Player Draft, but Henry has looked good so far in a relief role with the Nationals. Through four appearances, he has yet to allow a run while posting a 0.64 WHIP and 8:1 K:BB. Washington's bullpen remains unsettled behind closer Kyle Finnegan, so Henry has a clear path to a high-leverage spot if he can keep stacking zeros -- he entered Thursday's contest in the eighth inning with the Nats down by a run.
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Nationals' Cole Henry: Sent to Triple-A
Rotowire
The Nationals optioned Henry to Triple-A Rochester on Friday.
The right-hander missed the entire second half of the 2024 campaign due to a lat injury and has transitioned to long relief for 2025. Henry made five starts for Double-A Harrisburg last year prior to the injury and had a 3.95 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and 13:9 K:BB across 13.2 innings.
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Nationals' Cole Henry: Healthy for spring training
Rotowire
Henry (lat) has made two Grapefruit League appearances this spring, tossing three scoreless innings and scattering three hits and no walks while striking out seven.
The 25-year-old righty didn't pitch in the minors after June 26 last season due to a lat strain. Henry has worked as a starter for most of his minor-league career, but he told Andrew Golden of The Washington Post that he'll be making a move to long relief in 2025 as the Nationals aim to keep him healthy. Henry possesses a spot on the Nationals' 40-man roster but is most likely to open the campaign at Triple-A Rochester or Double-A Harrisburg despite his strong showing so far during spring training.
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Nationals' Cole Henry: Sidelined at Double-A
Rotowire
Double-A Harrisburg placed Henry on its 7-day injured list May 9 with an unspecified injury.
Harrisburg deactivated Henry a week after he gave up three runs over a three-inning start versus Altoona on May 2. The 24-year-old right-hander was protected from the Rule 5 Draft over the winter and possesses a spot on the Nationals' 40-man roster, but he doesn't appear especially close to making his MLB debut. Henry turned in a 3.95 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and 13:9 K:BB in 13.2 innings across his five starts for Harrisburg prior to landing on the IL.
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Nationals' Cole Henry: Activated from MiLB IL
Rotowire
Henry (shoulder) was activated from the minor-league injured list Tuesday, Bobby Blanco of MASNSports.com reports.
Henry will join the starting rotation at Double-A Harrisburg after completing his rehabilitation from August 2022 thoracic outlet syndrome surgery. The 23-year-old did a four-start rehab run with Low-A Fredericksburg and High-A Wilmington and posted an encouraging 1.20 ERA and 16:3 K:BB over 15 innings. He should eventually rise back to Triple-A Rochester.
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Nationals' Cole Henry: Successful first rehab start
Rotowire
Henry (shoulder) struck out five over three scoreless innings in his first rehab start for Single-A Fredericksburg on Tuesday.
The 23-year-old righty has success under his belt at Double-A in 2022 and reached as high as Triple-A, so he should be expected to carve up a Single-A lineup. Nonetheless, thoracic outlet syndrome can ruin careers, so it's encouraging that his recovery has gone well thus far. He should head to the Triple-A Rochester rotation once he completes his rehab assignment in a week or two.
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Nationals' Cole Henry: Opens season on shelf
Rotowire
Triple-A Rochester placed Henry (shoulder) on the 7-day injured list Friday.
Henry appears to be progressing well in his recovery from the thoracic outlet syndrome surgery he underwent last August, as he was cleared to resume facing hitters just over a month ago. The right-hander still likely requires some additional time to ramp back up fully, but once he's ready for game action, he should settle into a spot in the Rochester rotation.
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Nationals' Cole Henry: Getting thoracic outlet surgery
Rotowire
Henry (shoulder) is scheduled to undergo season-ending surgery Aug. 28 to address thoracic outlet syndrome, Grant Paulsen of 106-7 The Fan Washington reports.
After getting a promotion from Double-A Harrisburg on June, Henry made just two starts for Triple-A Rochester before he was shut down two months ago due to tenderness in his right shoulder. Subsequent tests have revealed that Henry is dealing with a condition that can derail pitchers' careers, and he'll soon have the same procedure that recently kept Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg out of game action for nearly 10 months. For the moment, the Nationals are optimistic that Henry will be cleared for spring, but even if that comes to fruition, expect him to be built up slowly to begin the 2023 season.
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Nationals' Cole Henry: Promoted to Triple-A
Rotowire
Henry was promoted from Double-A Harrisburg to Triple-A Rochester on Thursday, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.
Henry was dominant in Harrisburg early in 2022, posting a 0.76 ERA and 0.60 WHIP in 23.2 innings over seven starts. After missing time last year due to elbow soreness, the team appeared to be managing his workload in 2022 since he didn't last longer than four innings in any of his Double-A starts. However, the righty will still be rewarded with a promotion to the Triple-A level. The 22-year-old has responded well to improved competition over the last few years, and it's possible he's in the mix to join the Nationals late in 2022 or sometime in 2023.
