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Nationals' Cade Cavalli: Suspension reduced to five games
Rotowire
Cavalli's suspension for his actions during the benches-clearing incident Tuesday versus the Red Sox has been reduced from seven games to five games, Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic reports.
Cavalli made a remark to Boston's Willson Contreras after striking him out, which instigated a brawl between the two clubs. The righty getting his suspension reduced to five games will cost him some salary but shouldn't cost him any starts, as he is now lined up to take the ball Sunday against the Yankees in his final start of the first half.
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Nationals' Cade Cavalli: Battles dehydration during start
Rotowire
Cavalli acknowledged after Sunday's 11-5 loss to the Pirates that he dealt with dehydration during his start, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal reports. "It was a weird thing," Cavalli said. "I knew it was going to be hot. These last two or three days, I've been trying to prepare my body as best I can for it. Drinking a lot of fluids, the right kind of fluids. I don't know why my body reacted the way it did to it."
After turning in a 13-strikeout gem over seven innings in a win over the Red Sox on Tuesday, Cavalli was unable to maintain that dominant form in his second start of the week. The high temperatures in Washington, D.C. appeared to take an early toll on Cavalli, who saw his fastball velocity drop from 97.6 mph in the first inning to 96.1 mph in the second inning and 94.2 mph in the third. Cavalli was able to stay in the game after a visit on the mound from manager Blake Butera and a team trainer, but he was pulled after walking the next batter he faced. The right-hander ended up taking a no-decision, finishing the afternoon with four runs allowed (three earned) on six hits and two walks across 2.1 innings and 63 pitches. While Cavalli should be rehydrated and ready to go when his turn in the rotation comes up again during next weekend's series against the Yankees, he's still awaiting the results of his appeal of the seven-game suspension he received last week for his role in the benches-clearing incident that took place during his start against Boston. If the appeal process is completed within the next few days and the ban is upheld, Cavalli wouldn't pitch again until after the All-Star break.
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Nationals' Cade Cavalli: Velo down, leaves start early
Rotowire
Cavalli was lifted midway through the third inning of his start Sunday against the Pirates due to an apparent injury, Mark Zuckerman of NatsJournal.com reports. He allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits and two walks while striking out three over 2.1 innings prior to departing.
Fresh off striking out a career-high 13 batters while yielding just one hit over seven innings in his previous start Tuesday in Boston, Cavalli was unable to keep the momentum going. He needed 63 pitches to record his seven outs, and seemed to be pitching through an injury during the start. His velocity was down from its usual levels throughout the afternoon, and he was visited on the mound by the Nationals' athletic trainer at one point during the second inning before leaving the game one frame later. Expect manager Blake Butera to shed light on Cavalli's condition when he address the media following Sunday's game.
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Nationals' Cade Cavalli: Next start coming Sunday
Rotowire
Cavalli will start Sunday against the Pirates in Washington, Kyle Williams of TheBanner.com reports.
Cavalli was initially expected to make his next turn in the rotation Monday against the Astros, but he will take the mound for the Nationals on Sunday instead of Miles Mikolas, who will likely start in the series opener against Houston. Cavalli is appealing a seven-game suspension that he received Thursday for his involvement in a bench-clearing incident with the Red Sox on Tuesday. Cavalli has a 3.69 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 102:29 K:BB across 90.1 innings this season.
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Nationals' Cade Cavalli: Decides to appeal suspension
Rotowire
Cavalli will appeal the seven-game suspension he received Thursday, Evan Drellich of The Athletic reports.
MLB issued bans for Cavalli and teammate Miles Mikolas (five games) along with Boston's Willson Contreras (seven games) and Nate Eaton (three games) for their roles in a benches-clearing incident Tuesday. Cavalli's suspension was set to begin Friday, but the 27-year-old's decision to appeal the ban will allow him to make his next turn through the rotation, which is expected to come Monday against the Astros. One or both Nationals pitchers could end up dropping their appeals at a more convenient time as the team figures out how to juggle the two looming absences from its rotation.
Cavalli received a seven-game suspension Thursday for his actions initiating and during the benches-clearing incident Tuesday versus the Red Sox, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports.
The benches-clearing incident Tuesday was sparked when Cavalli struck out Willson Contreras. On the Nationals' side, Miles Mikolas also received a five-game ban. For the Red Sox, Contreras received a seven-game suspension and Nate Eaton three games. Unless Cavalli appeals, he won't be able to return until July 11.
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Nationals' Cade Cavalli: Career-high 13 strikeouts in win
Rotowire
Cavalli (5-4) earned the win against the Red Sox on Tuesday, allowing one unearned run on one hit and no walks with 13 strikeouts over seven innings.
Cavalli was dominant after allowing an unearned run in the first inning, striking out a career-high 13 batters while retiring the final 19 he faced. He generated a whopping 25 swinging strikes on 100 pitches, including 15 with his four-seam fastball. While it marked the first time this season he did not allow an earned run, the 27-year-old has now held opponents to three earned runs or fewer in 16 of 18 outings. He'll take a 3.69 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 102:29 K:BB across 90.1 innings into a home matchup with the Astros next week.
Cavalli took a no-decision Thursday against the Phillies, allowing two runs on five hits and one walk in six innings. He struck out seven.
The quality start was the first of the month for Cavalli, whose seven punchouts also marked his highest total in June so far. The 27-year-old right-hander was in line for the win, exiting the game with a 5-2 lead before the seventh inning, but Washington's much-maligned bullpen blew its 24th save of the season Thursday. Cavalli will take a pedestrian 4.00 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 89:29 K:BB over 83.1 innings into his next scheduled outing in Boston against a Red Sox team that's struggled mightily at home in 2026.
Cavalli did not factor into the decision in Saturday's 4-3 win over the Rays, allowing two runs on six hits and three walks with one strikeout over 2.2 innings.
Cavalli had his start pushed back from Friday due to an illness and struggled out of the gate Saturday, loading the bases in each of the first three innings and failing to escape the third in his shortest outing since April 13. The 27-year-old's velocity was slightly down on his three most-used offerings, so perhaps he was still feeling less than 100 percent. He owns a 4.07 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 82:28 K:BB across 77.1 innings this season and will try to rebound in a home matchup against the Phillies next week.
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Nationals' Cade Cavalli: Starting Saturday
Rotowire
Cavalli (illness) will start Saturday's game against the Rays.
Cavalli was initially slated to start Friday's contest but was scratched before the game due to an illness. Now feeling better, the 27-year-old will start Saturday with the benefit of an extra day of rest. He'll be looking to turn things around after posting a 5.40 ERA and 1.33 WHIP in 15 innings across his first three starts of the month.
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Nationals' Cade Cavalli: Scratched Friday
Rotowire
Cavalli was scratched from his scheduled start against the Rays on Friday due to an illness.
Cavalli was penciled in to start Friday's series opener but instead won't be available due to food poisoning, per Andrew Golden of TheBanner.com. The Nationals are hopeful Cavalli will be ready to start Saturday. PJ Poulin will start in Cavalli's place with Miles Mikolas set to follow in the bulk role.
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Nationals' Cade Cavalli: Strikes out five in fourth win
Rotowire
Cavalli (4-4) notched the win Saturday against the Mariners, allowing three runs on four hits and no walks in five innings. He struck out five.
Cavalli cruised through four scoreless innings but stumbled in the fifth, when Seattle tagged him for three runs. The 27-year-old right-hander has now fired at least five frames in seven straight starts, and he's given up more than three runs just twice all season. Cavalli will carry a decent 3.98 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 81:25 K:BB across 74.2 innings into his next scheduled start in Tampa Bay.
Cavalli (3-4) took the loss Sunday against Arizona, surrendering four runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out two across five innings.
Cavalli was undone by the long ball Sunday, serving up homers to Corbin Carroll in the first inning and Gabriel Moreno in the fifth that accounted for a majority of the damage. More concerning for fantasy managers was the lack of swing-and-miss stuff, as he managed just two strikeouts across five innings after entering Sunday with 74 punchouts across 64.2 innings. Cavalli now owns a 3.88 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and 76:25 K:BB across 69.2 innings and is scheduled to face Seattle in his next start.
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Nationals' Cade Cavalli: Fans six in no-decision
Rotowire
Cavalli didn't factor into the decision Monday against the Marlins after allowing two runs on five hits and three walks across five innings. He struck out six.
Cavalli was at 89 pitches after the first five innings, and while he ended just three outs shy of a quality start, he still delivered a solid outing. This was his third straight outing in which Cavalli gave up two or fewer earned runs, and he also has three quality starts over his last four appearances, so he's trending in the right direction. The right-hander, who owns a 3.44 ERA and 1.21 WHIP across 34 innings since the beginning of May, is slated to make his next start over the weekend on the road against the Diamondbacks.
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