WASHINGTON -- A sleepy Zach Brzykcy was resting on his couch at the Red Wings' team hotel in Scranton, Pa., when he received a phone call from Triple-A Rochester manager Matthew LeCroy.
"He's like, ‘Oh, my bad. I thought you called me, I was calling you back,’” Brzykcy recounted.
LeCroy wished Brzykcy a nice night. Brzykcy didn’t think anything of the seemingly accidental phone call.
LeCroy hung up and went to the hotel lobby, where the players’ wives and girlfriends were playing cards. LeCroy asked Brzykcy’s girlfriend if she could call him.
Brzykcy’s phone rang again.
"She called me up, and skip said, ‘Hey, you’re going to D.C.,’” Brzykcy said.
For the second time in a week, Brzykcy, 25, made the drive from Scranton to Washington, D.C.
On Tuesday, he had been named the 27th man in the doubleheader against the Guardians. This time, the plan is for a longer stay. On Saturday, the Nationals recalled Brzykcy as the corresponding move to requesting unconditional release waivers on right-hander Lucas Sims.
"He’s just got a cup of coffee up here,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said of Brzykcy. “He’ll settle in. We’ll try to pick some spots where we feel like he matches up well.”
Brzykcy entered the eighth inning of Saturday's 4-2 loss to the Cardinals with one out and runners on first and second. He made quick work of an Alec Burleson flyout and a Nolan Gorman popup on just six pitches. Brzykcy threw all four-seamers and reached 96 mph.
"His fastball was electric,” said Martinez. “It was great to see. He comes back here and really throws his fastball the way he did, it was awesome.”
After battling a right quad strain in Spring Training, Brzykcy began the season on the injured list. Activated from the IL on April 25, he recorded a 3.86 ERA with nine strikeouts to three walks in five Triple-A appearances.
“He’s got a mix of a couple really good pitches,” Martinez said. “His fastball’s got vert, his breaking ball’s good, his changeup’s really good. As I always say, it’s all about attacking the strike zone.”
Brzykcy, who made his Major League debut last Sept. 1, will build on his eight games of Major League experience. On Tuesday, he allowed a home run, issued a walk and struck out a batter in Game 2 of the doubleheader.
“I was happy with it,” Brzykcy said. “I threw one bad pitch, but otherwise stuff was good. I’m happy with how I battled, and I finished that inning with a strikeout.”
Sims’ tenure with the Nats concluded after 18 relief appearances. Sims, who signed a one-year deal in February, was 1-0 with a 13.86 ERA, a 10.22 walk rate and a league-high seven hit batters.
"It stinks,” Martinez said of making the roster move. "He gets it. He understands he didn’t throw strikes ... I don’t know if he was overthrowing or he goes out there thinking too much. I do know he gets so quick. We tried to slow him down, and it just didn’t happen. When you’re walking that many guys and hitting guys, we have to do something.”