June 1: This Day In Nats’ History

WASHINGTON – The emergence of Yadiel Hernández as a legitimate Major League hitter, including holding his own against left-handed pitchers, is probably one reason Andrew Stevenson has been stuck at Triple-A Rochester all season.

Today, June 1, is the 28^th birthday of Stevenson, who like Hernández bats from the left side.

Stevenson was born June 1, 1994, in Lafayette, Louisiana, and was drafted in the second round by the Nationals in 2015.

The speedy Stevenson made his Major League debut in July 2017 and has played at least 15 games for the Nationals every year from 2017 through last year.

Stevenson has played in 248 games in the majors and his batting average is also .248.

He was a terror at the end of the 2020 season – a year in which he hit .366 in 15 games and appeared at times a big part of the future for the Nationals.

Stevenson played in a career-high 109 games in the majors last year and hit .229 for Washington.

Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images

This season, in games through Monday, he was hitting .293 in 174 at-bats under manager Matt LeCroy with the Red Wings in upstate New York.

He has hit in the leadoff spot for most of the season for Rochester.

“I think he is doing well,” LeCroy told Federal Baseball in May. “He is playing hard; I think he has value” with speed and strong defense.

He was 2-for-5 on Saturday and that extended his hitting streak to seven games.

Pitcher Logan Verrett, acquired by the Nationals earlier this spring, was the starter for Rochester on Sunday and gave up two runs in five innings against Syracuse, the top farm club of the Mets.

Tyler Clippard, a veteran Major League reliever, gave up one run in one inning as his ERA rose a bit to 3.43 this year with the Red Wings.

Rochester is 31-18 going into its game on Wednesday with Buffalo.