MIAMI -- The Washington Nationals are getting their ace back, perhaps sooner than expected.
Lefty MacKenzie Gore, sidelined the past couple of weeks with shoulder inflammation, will return to the rotation on Thursday for the series finale vs. the Marlins.
Interim manager Miguel Cairo said Wednesday -- prior to Washington's 8-3 loss to the Marlins -- that Gore (5-13, 4.15 ERA) felt good after a bullpen session on Tuesday.
“He was fine yesterday,’’ Cairo said, “so, tomorrow he’s going to start.’’
On Aug. 30, the Nationals placed Gore on the 15-day IL retroactively to Aug. 27. The expectation at the time was for Gore to return before the end of the regular season, though it was not certain.
“It was a little break,” Cairo said. “He didn’t have a break because of the All-Star Game, so, I think it was good to let him make sure his shoulder was right. It wasn’t that bad, so, he starts tomorrow.”
Somewhat ironically, Gore will be starting opposite the Marlins' Ryan Weathers, who has been on the IL himself since June 9 with a left lat strain.
Gore, Washington’s Opening Day starter and a first-time All-Star, allowed a combined six earned runs with eight strikeouts over 9 1/3 innings in his two starts prior to landing on the IL; that includes allowing three runs on three hits over five innings in a 5-1 loss to the Yankees on Aug. 26. It was during that start that he began to feel the injury.
“It’s something, the way it felt last start, where we needed to get an MRI,” Gore said the day he went on the IL. “Nothing crazy showed up with significant injury. I didn’t want to go on the IL, but we kind of needed to. I plan on being back as soon as I can, but we just need to clean up a few things in there and should be alright.”
In eight starts in the second half of the season, Gore has a 7.54 ERA and a 1.76 WHIP.
Cairo seemed very happy to have Gore back.
“It’s awesome,” Cairo said. “He threw a really good bullpen so tomorrow he’s going in. I don’t know how many pitches he’s going to throw, but he’s the starting pitcher.”
Second baseman Luis García Jr. said, via interpreter Mauricio Ortiz, that having Gore return on Thursday should give the Nationals an additional lift.
“Very happy to have him back,’’ Garcia Jr. said. “It is a good thing that it was not worse than we expected. It’s going to be really good to see him pitch [Thursday].’’
Gore has not faced live hitters since going on the IL, but Cairo does not think that will be an issue come Thursday evening.
“He’s going to be just fine,’’ Cairo said. “I am glad he is back and is going to help us tomorrow.’’
MLB.com reporter Jessica Camerato contributed to this report.