The Washington Nationals have just called up two of their top prospects following recent injuries. In the past two games, No. 11 prospect Robert Hassell III and No. 9 prospect Daylen Lile, as ranked by MLB Pipeline, made their big league debuts.
Hassell played in his first game on Thursday against the Braves after earning a promotion from Triple-A Rochester. The Nationals called him up to replace outfielder Dylan Crews, who was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left oblique strain. The San Diego Padres originally selected Hassell eighth overall in the 2020 draft, and was sent to Washington as a piece of the Juan Soto trade in 2022.
Hassell hit .288 with a .337 OBP in Triple-A Rochester this season, with four home runs and nine steals in 43 games. He went 2-for-5 in his major league debut, scoring two runs and stealing a base. He also crossed home plate as the walk-off run on Amed Rosario’s single to left field.
“He had a great first day. He helped us win a ballgame,” said Nationals Manager Dave Martinez in his postgame conference. “We waited a long time to get him here, and he’s finally here.”
In his postgame conference with MLB Network, Hassell explained what Nats fans can expect from him as a player.
“I take a lot of pride in playing all sides of the ball, and baserunning too,” Hassell noted. “I expect to get some stolen bases, I expect to be ready to swing the bat when the pitch is there, and then play defense too.”
On Friday, Daylen Lile joined Hassell on the big league roster after outfielder Jacob Young was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left shoulder sprain. Washington drafted Lile in the second-round in 2021, and was promoted to the Nationals after just 18 games with Triple-A Rochester.
Lile hit .337 with an OBP of .383 across Triple-A Rochester and Double-A Harrisburg this season. He saw two at bats in his debut against the Giants on Friday night, going 1-for-2 with a single to left field.
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