Cade Cavalli Named Nationals' Opener

0:00Here's more Washington Nationals news for March 10th. The Washington Nationals have tapped Cade Cavalli to start game 1 of the regular season. Under first-year manager Blake Boutera, the 2026 opener comes Thursday, March 26th, at Rigglyfield against the Chicago Cubs. First pitch is set for 2.20pm. Cavalli earned the spot with Sharp Spring training outings. He struck out one in two innings against the St. Louis Cardinals on February 24th, then added six strikeouts over four innings versus the Houston Astros on March 6th, allowing just one run. The rotation opening came after trading Mackenzie Gore in January, even with new additions like veteran Miles McElis and free agent Zach Letell. Cavalli stood out to the coaching staff. Boutera highlighted Cavalli's boost of velocity, better conditioning, and commanding mound presence from day one of camp. It's a big step for the pitcher, who fought through injuries like shoulder inflammation, Tommy John's surgery, and limited action in recent years.

1:02Last season, Cavalli posted 79 strikeouts against 30 walks in 74 minor league innings. He also went 3 in 1 with a 4.25 ERA, over 48.2 innings and 10 games for the nationals, fanning 40 batters. D&N is brought to you by our sponsor link in the description. Some chase peace. I'll put my head in it. S-O-L-I, solelypillow.com.