29-year-old Jim Henderson, called up by the Brewers earlier in the day, made his major league debut Thursday night, retiring all three Nationals he faced in his inning of work.
Henderson was a 10-year minor league veteran, having been picked by Expos in the 26th round of the 2003 draft. After he failed as a starter in low-A ball in 2005, the Nationals shifted him to the bullpen, where he’s been ever since. His results have largely been mixed in stints in three different farm systems, but he broke through in Triple-A this year, amassing a 1.69 ERA and 15 saves as Nashville’s closer.
While Henderson had a 5.46 ERA in Double-A in 2010 and a 4.28 mark between Double- and Triple-A last year, his mid-90s fastball has kept him employed. He probably doesn’t have enough to go with it to contribute as more than a middle reliever, but it’d be a nice story if he happened to surprise.