Williams looks just like himself in impressive return

CHICAGO – After missing 99 games, Trevor Williams returned to the mound on Friday at Wrigley Field. The 32-year-old right-hander had not pitched in a game for the Nationals since May 30 because of a right flexor muscle strain, and he had been determined to get back this season.

Williams efficiently delivered five innings in the Nationals’ 3-1 loss to the Cubs. He allowed one run, three hits, issued zero walks and struck out seven. Williams located 46 of his 66 pitches for strikes to catcher Drew Millas.

“I’m just glad that I’m healthy, everything’s firing on all cylinders, and everything’s feeling to the point where we were before I got injured,” said Williams.

Williams began his afternoon by striking out leadoff hitter Ian Happ on four pitches. He gave up a solo home run to Dansby Swanson off a changeup belted to center field in the next at-bat, but held the Cubs scoreless the rest of the outing.

Williams retired the side in order in the second and fourth innings, and he didn’t face more than four batters in a frame. Aside from the Swanson homer, the other two hits Williams allowed were singles to Christian Bethancourt and Nico Hoerner.

“He elevated when he needed to,” manager Dave Martinez said. “But for the most part, everything was down, slider was good, changeup was really good, his sinker was good. When he can keep the ball down in the zone like that, he’s tough to hit because he changes speeds.”

Williams went with his fastball for nearly half of his pitches (47 percent), reaching 89.8 mph. He also threw his sweeper (27 percent), slider (11 percent), sinker (nine percent) and changeup (six percent). Williams’ four-seamer yielded 20 swings and four whiffs, while his sweeper resulted in 10 swings and seven whiffs.

“It’s a pitch that I’ve had success with this year,” Williams said of his sweeper. “You go to certain secondary pitches to certain guys, and they profiled a lot today where the sweeper was going to be effective to a lot of them. We stuck with the game plan, Drew called an incredible game.”

Williams, who is in the final year of his two-year deal with the Nationals, was having one of his best seasons at the time of the injury. He was 5-0 with a 2.22 ERA across 56 2/3 innings in 11 starts. Williams had tied his career mark with eight strikeouts twice (May 7 vs. Orioles, May 25 vs. Mariners), and he had not allowed more than three earned runs in a start.

“He was one of the best pitchers in the league to start the season, probably was going to be an All-Star,” said left-handed starter Patrick Corbin. “For something like that to happen, it stinks. You see him every day coming to the field, the same guy, working hard trying to get back. Sometimes those elbow injuries stink a little bit and can keep you out a little bit longer. But I think it will be good for him to get back out there … [and] feel good going into the offseason.”

Williams is expected to make another start for the Nationals before the end of the season.

“My main thing with him was that he was healthy, and that he leaves here knowing that he’s healthy and he can go start his winter program,” Martinez said. “I know he becomes a free agent, but it’s good for other teams to see him that he’s healthy, and good for us to see that he’s healthy and he’s going out there and competing like he always does.”