Joe Nathan to make rehab appearance Wednesday at AAA Toledo, might return this week

By Drew SilvaApr 21, 2015, 11:54 PM EDT
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Some positive news on the Joe Nathan front.

According to James Schmehl of MLive.com, the veteran closer has been cleared to make a rehab appearance Wednesday and Triple-A Toledo and he anticipates rejoining the Tigers after just one outing.

Nathan was placed on the 15-day disabled list April 8 with a Grade 1 flexor strain in his elbow. He’d made just one appearance for Detroit this year, earning a one-out save on Opening Day against the Twins.

Joakim Soria has picked up five saves in Nathan’s absence, but he’ll be moved back to a setup role.

Nationals sign George Kontos to minors deal

George Kontos
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By Ashley VarelaMay 26, 2019, 1:31 PM EDT
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The Nationals selected the contract of reliever George Kontos from the Atlantic League Long Island Ducks, per an official announcement on Saturday. The right-hander has been assigned to Triple-A Fresno, but could still make his season debut sometime before the first half of the season draws to a close.

Kontos, 33, hasn’t pitched in the majors since he took a handful of back-to-back-to-back gigs with the Pirates, Indians, and Yankees in 2018. He inked a minor league pact with the Cubs over the offseason, but failed to break camp with the team and was subsequently released in mid-April. He turned in seven strong innings for the Ducks since then, allowing one run and one walk and striking out six of 27 batters in six appearances.

Last year, the veteran reliever posted a combined 4.39 ERA, 2.4 BB/9, and 5.1 SO/9 over 26 2/3 innings. While he hasn’t pitched anywhere close to his career-best numbers in four years, he may still provide some valuable depth for the club, whose bullpen ranks 10th best in the league with a cumulative 4.59 ERA and 5.9 fWAR so far in 2019.