Nationals recall Andrew Alvarez, option Zak Kent in Rochester shuffle

The Nationals turned to Andrew Alvarez for help in a pitching staff still being rearranged, recalling the left-hander from Triple-A Rochester and sending right-hander Zak Kent back on a fresh shuffle through the organization’s busiest lane. President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni made the moves, with Alvarez coming up Friday and Kent headed back to Rochester after a brief big-league stay.

For Washington, Alvarez looks like the cleaner fit to stick. The 26-year-old left-hander has already shown he can cover multiple turns in a major league rotation, and he is returning for his second MLB stint of the season after making five starts earlier this year. In that stretch, Alvarez posted a 2.31 ERA over 23.1 innings with 20 strikeouts and a 1.11 WHIP before being optioned back to Rochester on April 19. His earlier work also helped explain why the club kept him close: when he debuted on Sept. 1, 2025 against Miami, he ranked second in the Nationals’ system with 123.0 innings and third in the organization with 114 strikeouts. Those totals placed him fourth in all of Triple-A in innings and 10th in strikeouts.

Alvarez’s profile makes the move easy to read. A 12th-round pick in 2021 out of Cal Poly, 353rd overall, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound lefty has already demonstrated he can supply innings, miss bats and work as a starter at the highest level. His 2026 major league line now sits at 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA, five strikeouts and 4.1 innings in one appearance, another sign that Washington views him as more than a stopgap.

Kent’s path has been more transitory. The 28-year-old joined Washington after the club claimed him off waivers from the Minnesota Twins on May 3, immediately optioned him to Rochester, then recalled him on May 6 before sending him back again. He had made two appearances for Minnesota earlier this season and was used in relief during his short time with the Nationals, but this latest move suggests Washington still sees him as part of the shuttle system rather than a settled bullpen answer.

That is the broader story in Rochester and Washington right now: one arm is being brought up to stabilize innings, while another is being cycled back to Triple-A as the Nationals sort out who can hold a job. Alvarez has the clearer near-term lane to remain, because Washington needs a starter who can lengthen games. Kent, for now, is the depth piece still waiting for a longer look.