Cornelio’s Opener Role Could Change Rotation | Washington Nationals News

The Nationals are scrambling to fix their pitching woes after last year’s disastrous bullpen, and Riley Cornelio might be the unexpected answer. Once a struggling long reliever with control issues, the 26-year-old has turned heads in September as an opener, tossing five scoreless innings with eight strikeouts in his last two outings. Manager Blake Butera says they’re not ruling out a rotation spot for Cornelio in 2027, especially with only Cavalli locked in — and Alvarez or Early possibly joining him. With spring training looming, the team is watching closely to see if Cornelio can become the ace they didn’t know they needed. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Sources:https://www.si.com/mlb/nationals/onsi/nationals-not-closing-door-using-riley-cornelio-crucial-role-next-season More coverage & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/ef8705edc7318a34 Report issues to [email protected].