Nations Back Max Kranick From 60-Day IL; Drew Millas Gets Finger Surgery
TODAY: The Nats officially called up Ford yesterday, and manager Blake Butera revealed (in a press conference with Alexa Datt and other media) that Millas had surgery on his left index finger. It does not appear that the surgery will threaten Millas’ season, as Butera said “hopefully…the recovery process is not too long.” The latest procedure removed a plate from Millas’ finger, and Nats.Talk reported that the plate was inserted during his surgery last year.
JULY 15: The tribe announced the one who uses the right hand Max Kranick he was placed on the 60-day disabled list. The club has a 40-man slot that Kranick has already filled. The Nats also fielded a catcher Drew Mills on the 10-day injured list, resuming until June 12, with a broken left index finger. Catching partner Harry Ford will be recalled to replace Millas, according to a report from Nats.Talk with Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic.
On Sunday, the Nats remembered their first baseman Abimelech Ortiz and the designated left hand Matt Krook by share. That opened up a 40-man roster spot and left the Nats with 14-man and 12-man rosters. Ortiz was singled after that game, getting them to 13-12. Kranick’s reinstatement brings them to 13-13 and fills out the 40-man roster.
Kranick, now 28, has yet to appear in a game as a National. He was just signed a few months ago while still recovering from flexor tendon surgery he had last year. He has been in rehab for the past month and is ready to return to the big leagues.
His major league record was largely defined by injuries. He started playing for the Pirates in 2021, earning a negative 6.28 earned run average in nine runs. He then required Tommy John surgery the following summer, putting him on the shelf for most of the 2022 and 2023 seasons. The Bucs released him in 2024 and Kranick was claimed by the Mets. A hamstring strain put him on the IL to start the year, then the Mets released him in May.
He pitched well enough in the minors that the Mets returned him to the 40-man in October of 2024. He spent most of the first half of 2025 in the Mets’ bullpen, pitching 37 innings with a 3.65 ERA. His 16.9% strikeout rate was below average but his 3.4% walk rate was abysmal. He mostly threw a 95.6 mile-per-hour four-seamer and an 89.9 mph slider, though he also mixed in a curveball and a sweeper.
He required flexor tendon surgery in July, wiping out the rest of his campaign. The Mets did not tender him at the end of the season. He remained unsigned until the Nats acquired him in May with an $800K contract through 2026. There is also a club option for 2027, which will be $850K or $50K north of the new league minimum salary, whichever is greater. Even if that club option were to be declined, he would be subject to arbitration until 2029.
The Nats have one of the weakest bullpens in the league, as their pitchers have a 5.07 ERA this year, better than just three other clubs. Kranick will try to pitch well enough to hold down a job on that team. If it doesn’t work, you’re out of options.
If we turn to the grip, this is the same finger that Millas broke in August of last year. As seen in this clip from MLB.com, Austin Wells The Yankees swung into position and touched Millas’ glove hand. Millas needed surgery and missed the entire year. He was on the active roster this year but maybe the finger wasn’t 100%. Nusbaum’s piece linked above says the finger was purple and swollen from the campaign.
While the Nats are out, they will look at Ford. Found on Jose A. Ferrer trading in December, Ford has been on many lists of top 100 prospects in recent years. He debuted for the Mariners last year and could have broken camp with the Nats but didn’t have a great spring and was instead sent down to Triple-A.
Since then, the Nats have had a resurgent season Keibert Ruiz and Ford has been doing wonders for children. Ruiz had a terrible .235/.266/.345 slash line in the 2024 and 2025 seasons but bounced back with a .275/.302/.465 line here in 2026.
Ford, meanwhile, has a .223/.370/.335 line in Triple-A this year. However, he has been better lately, putting the cold start behind him. Per Nusbaum, he was playing through a shoulder injury earlier this year and has since recovered. He had a .208/.339/.270 line through June 17 but has slashed .277/.462/.553 since then.
Ruiz is signed through 2030 as part of an extension he signed with the club through 2023. He will earn $30MM over the next four seasons. It is unclear how the organization feels about him now. That agreement was signed by the previous government of the office. President of baseball operations Mike Rizzo was fired last year and replaced by Paul Toboni. One of Toboni’s first moves was the Ford dealership.
With Ruiz in better shape now, there is an argument for the Nats to try to trade for a higher price, as the deal looked underwater a few months ago. Although they feel like he can continue the form he has shown this year, the contract money is not very tight every year. For now, Ruiz and Ford will share catching duties, perhaps using the designated hitter slot to give at-bats to both guys.
Photo courtesy of Tim Vizer, Imagn Images
