Wednesday's start was a long time coming for Washington Nationals pitcher Cade Cavalli. The former first-round pick in 2020 made his first Major League start since 2022 when he took the ball against the Athletics at Nationals Park. Then, he suffered an elbow injury that led to Tommy John surgery, and he needed 2023 and 2024 to fully recover. The Nationals didn't want to push him this season, so they kept him in the minor leagues until Wednesday.

Athletics at Washington Nationals Game Preview

Nick Kurtz made his MLB debut less than a year atter being drafted fourth overall by Athletics. Kurtz has 23 home runs, 61 RBIs and a 1.035 OPS in his first 75 games. WASHINGTON — Nick Kurtz's dominance has been so startlingly sudden, so consistent and enduring that it's challenging to pinpoint exactly when the Athletics realized just what they had on their hands. It'd be understandable if that moment came in spring training, when the 6-5, 240-pound Kurtz showed up just seven months after he was drafted fourth overall out of Wake Forest and immediately displayed a mindset beyond his years, and a plate approach more suited to a player a decade into his major league career.