Two-time All-Star might have thrown final pitch for Nationals

The Washington Nationals have managed to hang around the National League Wild Card race. They perhaps wisely chose not to trade young players for veterans in advance of the Aug. 3 MLB trade deadline, knowing their future is brighter than their present.

Jackson Kent, the Nationals’ No. 8 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, figured to be part of that future when the time came for his major league debut. That time is arriving Wednesday, when the right-handed pitcher will start against the Chicago Cubs.

The Nationals haven’t announced whose place the 23-year-old will take on their active roster. But according to multiplereports from Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, veteran pitcher Miles Mikolas was saying goodbye to teammates after the Nats’ 8-6 loss to the Cubs.

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Mikolas, 37, is a two-time All-Star who is struggling to reach the finish line of his 11th MLB season. He’s 3-9 with a 5.89 ERA in 24 games (11 starts) for the Nationals — a sub-replacement level performance.

Washington signed Mikolas to a one-year, $2.25 million contract in February. He isn’t just the senior member of the team’s pitching staff — Mikolas is older than manager Blake Butera (34) and president of baseball operations Paul Toboni (36).

Kent was 9 years old when Mikolas made his big league debut in May 2012 with the San Diego Padres.

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Given Mikolas’ performance this season, his exit raises the possibility that he’s thrown his final pitch in MLB for any team — not merely the Nationals.

Mikolas was an All-Star in 2018 and 2022 with the St. Louis Cardinals, completing a remarkable big-league comeback after spending three years in Japan.

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In his career with the San Diego Padres (2012-13), Texas Rangers (2014), Cardinals (2018-25) and Nationals (2026), Mikolas went 68-69 with a 4.16 ERA (98 ERA+).

Kent got his first taste of Triple-A in 2026 after starting the season at Double-A Harrisburg. With the Rochester Red Wings, the Nationals’ top farm team, Kent was 8-3 with a 4.38 ERA in 13 starts. He struck out 67 batters and walked 22 in 63.2 innings.

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