Harry Ford is poised to make his first appearance for the Washington Nationals on Friday when the team begins the second half of the season against the Athletics in Sacramento, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Washington Post.
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The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the team had not announced the news, which was first reported by the Athletic. Backup catcher Drew Millas was put on the injured list Wednesday, retroactive to Sunday, with a left index finger fracture.
Ford, the Nationals’ No. 7 prospect, was acquired from the Seattle Mariners in December alongside right-hander Isaac Lyon in exchange for left-hander Jose A. Ferrer. It was the first major trade Paul Toboni made after taking over as president of baseball operations two months prior.
Ford was selected 12th overall by the Mariners in the 2021 draft and made his MLB debut in September. With Cal Raleigh locked up through the 2030 season, Ford had no path to consistent playing time in Seattle. But he could become a long-term backstop alongside Keibert Ruiz in Washington.
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Before that can happen, Ford needs to show improvement at the plate. He was hitting just .223 with Class AAA Rochester but has improved throughout the season. In April, he posted a .200 batting average, .288 on-base percentage and .243 slugging percentage. In June, those numbers jumped to .244/.426/.415 as his power started to emerge.
The Nationals also reinstated right-hander Max Kranick, who had Tommy John surgery last August and signed a major league deal with the Nationals in May.
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