Cade Cavalli's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

Washington Nationals pitching prospect Cade Cavalli (elbow, illness) is dealing with the flu and will be held back a few days as a result. Cavalli is in the midst of recovering from Tommy John surgery that he had in 2023 and started a rehab assignment with High-A Wilmington last Friday, throwing three scoreless innings while striking out three. The 25-year-old has come down with the flu, though, so his next rehab start will most likely be pushed back a bit. The former 22nd overall pick in 2020 out of Oklahoma allowed seven earned runs in 4 1/3 innings in his big-league debut in 2022 before being shut down with an injury. Cavalli, the team's No. 5 prospect per MLB Pipeline, should make his return to the big leagues in the second half of this season, at which point he'll be worth rostering in mixed leagues with the ability to hit triple digits as a starter.

Washington Nationals pitching prospect Cade Cavalli (elbow) began his rehab assignment on Monday in the Florida Complex League and performed well. The right-hander threw in a competitive game for the first time since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023 and tossed 2 2/3 innings of scoreless ball. He also allowed one hit, one walk and recorded five strikeouts. Cavalli threw 44 pitches in the contest and will continue to build his arm up. The 25-year-old is scheduled for another start in five days, and it is likely that he will continue to build up through the minor leagues before any talk of a big-league promotion at the moment. Cavalli was once the top prospect for the Nationals and still remains one of their better pitching prospects, but fantasy managers in all formats will want to monitor his recovery before making a move, as he is unlikely to make much of an impact in fantasy circles this season.

The Washington Nationals have officially sent right-handed pitching prospect Cade Cavalli (elbow) on a minor-league rehab assignment with the Florida Complex League Nationals, according to the team's transaction log. Cavalli is trying to return after having Tommy John surgery, and his first rehab start in the Rookie League will be his first game action since the 2022 season. Given the nature of the 25-year-old's rehab and his long layoff, he's likely to spend all 30 days on his rehab assignment before the Nationals decide what to do with him. The team's No. 5 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, allowed seven earned runs in 4 1/3 innings in his first big-league start in 2022 but hasn't been back to the big leagues since because of his elbow injury. Cavalli should return to the majors at some point in 2024, but fantasy managers in redraft leagues may want to temper expectations.