It seemed like a given that Dylan Cease would have a much better second half than first half, and I wrote about him as a player I was looking to “buy” before the second half started. However, Cease got off to a rough start out of the gate by allowing seven earned runs on nine hits in 9.

Cade Cavalli’s major league debut was a major moment for a Nationals organization in need of something positive at the time. When they called up their 2020 first round pick on Aug. 26, 2022, they were reeling from the Juan Soto trade earlier that month and needed to showcase as many pieces of the club’s long-term plan as possible.

Bixby native and former Oklahoma Sooner Cade Cavalli returns to the Washington Nationals' rotation Wednesday night for his first MLB start since 2022 following a two-year recovery from Tommy John surgery.

Cade Cavalli consiguió su primera victoria en las Grandes Ligas, James Wood conectó un doble de dos carreras, y los Nacionales de Washington

The emotions of his long-awaited return to the majors behind him at last, Cade Cavalli settled into life as a true big league pitcher tonight, taking the mound for his second start, confident he will be back out there for his third and plenty more before season’s end.

The 33-year-old righty’s day veered off course in the fifth inning. Dylan Crews reached on a one-out walk and Brady House hit a seeing-eye single into center field. Walker struck out Jacob Young, but James Wood gave Washington the lead by lacing a Walker splitter into the right-center gap for a two-RBI double.

Cade Cavalli rehabbed relentlessly for 1,076 days between his MLB debut and second career start. To take the mound for his third outing, he needed just five days, putting himself in position to earn his first big league win in the process.