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Nationals select RHP Reynaldo Lopez from Triple-A, place Sammy Solis on 15-Day DL

Dusty Baker told reporters on Sunday that 22-year-old prospect Reynaldo Lopez would be called up to face the Los Angeles Dodgers and this afternoon the Washington Nationals made the move official. Lopez is up, Sammy Solis is on the DL.

By Patrick Reddington
Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Dusty Baker laid out the Washington Nationals' plan to make room for and call up starter Reynaldo Lopez to face the Los Angeles Dodgers tonight after the series finale against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday.

Baker was asked at the time, why the Nationals decided to go with Lopez, who wasn't on the 40-Man roster, over the likes of Lucas Giolito, who made two starts for the Nats already, or another starter.

"Giolito needs some work," Baker said. "Especially with his breaking ball and his location so we call up a par arm [in Lopez] and we're going to put Sammy Solis on the DL cause his knee is cranky right now so we can back-date it and it won't be the full two weeks with the off days and the All-Star Break and everything else that we had. We just thought that that was the move right now."

The Nationals made those moves and one more official this afternoon when they announced that they had selected the contract of Lopez from Triple-A Syracuse. Solis was placed on the DL with right knee inflammation, retroactive to July 8th.

If things don't go well with Lopez, who'll make his MLB debut at age 22, Baker said that bringing Giolito back up for another turn in the rotation was a possibility.

"He's pitching on the same day that Lopez is pitching, which is by design, and if things don't work out and if Joe Ross isn't ready then we can go back to Giolito after he gets some work."

Ross threw a simulated game against Nationals' hitters in Nats Park this afternoon. No word yet on how that went.

As for Solis? Baker was asked about the extent of the injury on Sunday.

"They're going to take an MRI of it and it's on his landing leg and when it's on your landing leg, it's even worse, so we hope that he'll be all right."

More info on Solis and Lopez when it's available, assuming Nats' skipper Dusty Baker will talk about each before this afternoon's game.

In addition to the move to bring up Lopez and DL Solis, the Nationals announced that right-handed reliever Abel De Los Santos was claimed on outright waivers by the Cincinnati Reds, which opens up a spot on the 40-Man roster for Lopez.

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