MIAMI -- It might have been just a two-inning rehab session, but Nationals right-hander Cade Cavalli considers it a significant step in his goal of pitching with the Major League club again.
Cavalli completed the outing on Wednesday at the Nationals¡¯ spring complex in West Palm Beach, Fla.
For Cavalli, ranked as the Nats¡¯ No. 7 prospect by MLB Pipeline, the goal seemed daunting at times considering the lengthy delay he has experienced. The 26-year-old underwent Tommy John surgery on March 22, 2023, and he has not pitched with the Nationals since making his MLB debut on Aug. 26, 2022.
¡°I¡¯ve been throwing a lot of bullpens so I was ready to see some hitters,¡± Cavalli said. ¡°I started sequencing and really pitching. It was a good feeling to be back out there.
¡°I don¡¯t even feel like I¡¯m on rehab anymore. It feels like back to normal, let¡¯s build up and get going. It¡¯s awesome to be in this spot.¡±
Despite his eagerness to return to the Major League club, Cavalli acknowledges the risks of speeding up the process at this stage of the recovery.
¡°We don¡¯t want to rush things and get back to the point where we¡¯re hurting,¡± Cavalli said. ¡°Just going to be a really good buildup and hopefully, everything keeps responding how it is. I know they have a great plan. The staff is unbelievable. And they have it set up to where I can get back fully healthy and ready to go help the club.¡±
Cavalli is with the Nationals this weekend for their three-game series against the Marlins at loanDepot park. He had his locker in the clubhouse and threw a bullpen session on Friday.
¡°I haven¡¯t seen these guys in a little bit so it¡¯s awesome being able to hug everybody and get to see them,¡± Cavalli said. ¡°It¡¯s been fun sitting in the living room watching these guys compete. I get to get up and go to work every day, and know I¡¯m going to meet these guys one day hopefully.¡±
If Cavalli continues to clear the hurdles, he could rejoin the Nationals after the All-Star break.
¡°We¡¯re going to continue to build him up,¡± manager Dave Martinez said. ¡°Everything is going really well.¡±