Nationals promote House to wake up silent bats

The Nationals’ struggling lineup is getting a boost.

The club promoted third baseman Brady House, the top position player in their farm system, ahead of Monday’s 6-4 loss to the Colorado Rockies.

To prepare for House’s arrival, Washington sent third baseman Jose Tena and outfielder Robert Hassell III to Triple-A Rochester. The Nationals also recalled center fielder Daylen Lile. 

“Little antsy to get to the ballpark today, but once I got here everything just slowed down,” House said before his debut. “I’m hoping I can come in and help the team in any way, whether it’s defense or hitting, driving runners in, making plays on defense, whatever I can do.”

The former shortstop was ready to drop his girlfriend at the airport when he got a call — he needed to turn around for an urgent meeting. When he reached the home of the Rochester Red Wings, his coaches and teammates were waiting to deliver the good news. 

Instead of heading to Lehigh Valley, in Allentown, Pennsylvania, for another minor-league start, House was headed to the District.

Fans have clamored for House, Washington’s first-round pick from the 2021 draft, for months. While the 30-42 Nationals have floundered at the plate, House has dominated in the minors. 

“It’s easy to let it in your head or whatever. Obviously, I’ve thought about it a couple of times but it’s nothing I really sit on,” he said. “I just shoeed up to the ballpark in Rochester and just played.”

In 65 games with Triple-A Rochester this season, House has maintained a .304 batting average with 13 home runs and 41 RBIs. 

The Nationals are riding a nine-game losing streak. House took a 15-game hitting streak with him to the majors. 

Standing 6 feet, 4 inches, House looks to provide a much-needed pop of power in Washington’s lineup. 

Outfielder James Wood, who debuted last year and leads the Nationals with 17 home runs this season, can only do so much. House, like Wood, boasts a 90th-percentile exit velocity and routinely cracks pitches into the outfield. 

Martinez has experimented in an attempt to jumpstart his struggling offense. After a 38-run explosion in the final four games of May, the Nationals have plated just 31 runs in their last 13 games. 

On Sunday, those efforts saw outfielder Alex Call bat lead-off while shortstop C.J. Abrams dropped to the third spot in the order. It didn’t work. Call scored in the first inning, but the Marlins shut out the Nationals for the remainder of the game. 

Martinez went back to the drawing board. 

“We’re looking at different options, for sure,” he said on Sunday.

The 22-year-old House is the latest effort to wake up Washington’s bats. 

He’ll fill in for Tena, who posted a .248 average but failed to record a home run in 44 games. The Dominican was filling in for Opening Day third baseman Paul DeJong, who is still recovering from a pitch that hit him in the face in April. 

Monday’s lineup also saw designated hitter Josh Bell, first baseman Nathaniel Lowe and second baseman Luis Garcia Jr. move to the bench. Wood took Bell’s place with Liles joining the outfield while Andres Chaparro and Amed Rosario accompanied House in the infield. 

House has long been tied to Wood and outfielder Dylan Crews as the Nationals’ stars of the future. 

Wood arrived as advertised; he immediately became the most dangerous hitter in Washington’s lineup. Crews, currently on the injured list with an oblique strain, was battling through early-season struggles at the plate while flashing Gold Glove potential in center field. 

House could provide the best of both worlds. A former shortstop, the rookie was named “the best infield arm” in Washington’s organization by Baseball America and possesses the range to handle the hot corner. 

The third baseman had first major league at-bat Monday against Colorado’s Carson Palmquist, a fellow rookie who is 0-4 with a 7.77 ERA in five starts this season. House ended the night 0 for 3 with a strikeout and a walk. He had a runner on first in the ninth inning, but hit the ball right at Rockies second baseman Orlando Arcia for a double play.