Brady House sits against Reds on Sunday

The Nats were limited to one run into the sixth inning before House broke through with a three-run homer off Sean Manaea to give the team the lead. The 23-year-old third baseman is up to nine homers and 31 RBI while slashing .242/.295/.408 across 241 plate appearances.

House drove home the Nationals’ lone one when he roped a single to the opposite field in the third inning. In fact, he had two of their five total hits here. After mostly only starting against left-handed pitchers for the last few weeks, this was his second straight start against a righty as he could be getting a solid audition during the last chunk of the season.

House’s home run was his seventh of the year. He hit a solo shot off Brooks Raley in the seventh inning. It was his first home run since May 16. House had been 9-for-35 (.257) with no home runs and one RBI in his last 11 games entering play Wednesday.

House started at third base and hit fifth in the first game since Curtis Mead was traded to the Red Sox. He opened the season in the majors but was demoted once Mead heated up and took over as the primary third baseman. House, a former top prospect, hit .301/.342/.500 at Triple-A. In a season in which the entire Nationals offense has seemingly taken steps forward, House appears positioned to show he can do the same over the final couple of months.

With Curtis Mead dealt to the Red Sox early Sunday morning, House will get another opportunity to show what he can do at the big league level. The 23-year-old slugger has slashed a paltry .227/.282/.399 with seven homers and 25 RBI in 177 plate appearances with the Nationals this season. He remains an underwhelming option for fantasy purposes.

Obviously, there’s nothing at all guaranteed for the Nationals here, but turning Mead, who was acquired after being DFA’d by the White Sox in March, into a pitcher who was universally regarded as a top-75 prospect at the start of the season and who has posted a 3.24 ERA through 21 major league starts, seems like a major win for the organization. There is the huge caveat that Early is currently on the IL with elbow inflammation. Also, his peripherals aren’t as strong as that 3.24 ERA. Still, he projects as a fine middle-of-the-rotation starter for the long haul, even if his recovery from his current elbow issue doesn’t go as hoped. The Red Sox, for what it’s worth, seemed optimistic that he’d be ready to contribute in September. The Nationals, meanwhile, will replace Mead with Brady House. They’ll still probably trade another infielder, too, with Luis García Jr. most likely to go.

Unless Early is damaged goods — and he obviously currently is on the IL with elbow inflammation — this seems like a pretty weak return for the Red Sox. Mead has broken out nicely with a .256/.351/.505 line this year, but not with the kind of exit velocity numbers that suggest he’s going to be an above average regular going forward, especially given his lack of defensive value. The Red Sox figure to use him a lot at DH for now and then mix him at third and first if Roman Anthony gets healthy and the outfield gets overcrowded again. Masataka Yoshida will lose at-bats in Boston. The Nationals will recall Brady House to replace Mead, according to Spencer Nusbaum.

It’s nothing more than a routine day of rest for the 25-year-old slugger. Mead has been a productive addition to the Nationals’ lineup this season, slashing .245/.340/.490 with 16 homers, 43 RBI and five stolen bases in 294 plate appearances. Jorbit Vivas will start in his place at third base and bat eighth for the Nationals against Yankees’ right-hander Will Warren.

It appears to be nothing more than a routine night off for the 25-year-old slugger. Jorbit Vivas will start in his place at third base and bat eighth for the Nationals against Pirates’ right-hander Mitch Keller.

The Red Sox will throw their third left-handed starter in this series, and while Abrams has started the last two, they will give him a day off on Wednesday. Nasim Nunez will slide over to shortstop with Jorbit Vias entering the lineup at second base and batting seventh. Andres Chaparro will also make his third straight start and bat third while Luis Garcia Jr. heads to the bench.