Riley Cornelio’s New Role Experiment | Washington Nationals News

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It's September 13th. This is Washington Nationals News Today, AI-powered stories from Inside Your Team. So, the Nationals are looking at their young pitcher, Riley Cornelio, in a new light as his first year wraps up.
They're experimenting with him, seeing if he can handle different jobs on the mound, especially with their long-term plans for 2027 in. Mind, he started out as a starter, but they've been trying him out of the bullpen, and it's been a bit of a mixed bag. They've even used him as an opener, twice in the last six days. That means he comes in to start the game for a couple of innings before handing it off to another pitcher. The manager said they're not ruling out him starting again down the road, but they want to see how he performs in these different roles to get a and clearer picture. Cornelio actually did a solid job in his opener starts. Last Tuesday, he pitched three scoreless innings against the Padres.
Then on Sunday, he did it again, throwing two scoreless frames against the Angels, striking out four batters. It seems like he's finding his rhythm in that opening role. The idea behind using him as an opener is also to help out other pitchers. For instance, on Sunday, he pitched before Jake Irvin, who has had some trouble in the early innings. The manager thought this setup could be a good opportunity for Irvin to settle in.
They're still gathering information basically. By letting Cornelio pitch in these varied situations, they're building up data to figure out the best way to use him moving forward. It's all part of the process of developing talent and strategizing for the future.