Riley Cornelio gives Nats three clean innings

Intending to work behind an opener, Cornelio had to come on and relieve Jared Simpson in the first inning after he walked four of the first six batters he faced with one single between them. That immediately forced Cornelio into a pressure-packed situation with the bases loaded, one out, and two runs home already. He got out of that jam though and was able to keep the Phillies off the board for a few more frames. Will Dion came on after him and struck out two also without allowing a run in 2 2/3 innings. The Nationals continue to deploy these two in bulk outings and each are likely to get one or two more before the season’s over, the next probably coming against the Tigers on the road next week.

Cornelio served as the opener for the Nationals. He tossed two scoreless innings, stranding one hit and one walk while striking out four batters. Jake Irvin took over the third and gave up three runs across five frames. Cornelio has been effective as the opener over his last two outings, striking out eight over five innings. Irvin’s next start is scheduled to come on Saturday against the Cardinals in St. Louis.

The Nationals announced that Riley Cornelio will open on Sunday, with no mention of Irvin being scratched for any reason, so the expectation is that he’ll function in a bulk role. The 29-year-old right-hander remains a middling streaming option, though his chances of earning a victory improve slightly in a bulk role.

Cornelio has a 5.40 ERA in 20 innings out of the bullpen for the Nationals this season. He will serve in a multi-inning relief role.

Cornelio is sent down to make room for Yovanny Cruz after Cruz was acquired in a five-player trade. Cornelio will likely be back before 2026 comes to an end.

Cornelio has a 6.48 ERA in 8 1/3 innings across three appearances out of the bullpen for the Nationals. He will provide some depth out of the bullpen.

Conelio earns a ticket back to the minors after throwing 73 pitches over 4 1/3 innings in relief during Friday’s blowout loss to the Mariners. The 26-year-old rookie boasts an underwhelming 6.48 ERA across 8 1/3 innings over three appearances this season.

He’ll take the place of Cole Henry on the club’s active roster. It remains to be seen how the Nationals plan to utilize Cornelio this time around. After being used almost exclusively as a starter in the minors, he was used in a bulk role out of the bullpen the last time he was recalled by the Nats. The 26-year-old holds a 4.87 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and a 64/26 K/BB ratio across 44 1/3 innings in 11 appearances (nine starts) at the Triple-A level this season.

Cornelio made his big league debut out of the bullpen on Friday night, giving up three runs (two earned) on three hits and four walks over two innings against the White Sox. It is believed that it’s not directly related to his performance in Friday’s game and that Cornelio would’ve been optioned back to Triple-A regardless of how he performed. Now he’ll bide his time and wait for another opportunity with the big league club.

It remains unclear how much Cornelio will pitch or in what role tonight as the Nationals take on the White Sox, but it appears that at the very least he’s going to be working in a bulk role. Cornelio was Washington’s 2025 Minor League pitcher of the year and could get some runway if the early returns go well with the Nationals. The role uncertainty makes it hard to stream him today, but he could be a stash candidate in deeper leagues.