Wednesday, August 12

WASHINGTON -- Lions, tigers and bears, oh my!

But how about baby goats, cows and piglets instead?

When the Nationals hosted Country Night last Friday, they brought pettable (and cuddleable) farm animals to the ballpark thanks to Little Wild Mobile Farm.

You know what this means: "Baseball players holding adorable animals" content incoming.

The Nationals players were greeted by a baby goat named Poppi when they entered the clubhouse Friday afternoon.

Several players exclaimed “Baaaa!” (in goat talk), while a few thought Poppi was a baby cow at first. Abimelec Ortiz gushed, “This is beautiful,” Andrés Chaparro nicknamed the goat “Messi” (get it?), and CJ Abrams chased after her in the hall while she showed off her speed.

After initially being hesitant to hold Poppi, Daylen Lile said, “[Having animals at the ballpark] starts [your game day] off on a pretty cute moment. You can't complain about it because it could light your day up.”

Then, Dylan Crews, Nasim Nuñez and their significant others got the opportunity to have a special meet and greet with the Little Wild Mobile Farm crew.

Growing up in Florida, Crews had a chinchilla named Chili, his sister had guinea pigs and his family had dogs. He and his fiancée now live in Louisiana, where their friends have farm animals that include cows, lambs and turkeys. Crews' fiancée has wanted a mini cow since visiting their friend, so they were excited to see one at the stadium.

“The mini cows [were my favorite],” Crews said. “Those guys were fun. They also had a pig named Bacon. He was cool, too.”

We learned about Nuñez’s childhood pet turtle, George, this season, but he has knowledge of farm animals, too. His girlfriend has a degree in agricultural sciences. She has worked with similar animals in her studies, and he has learned about them from her.

“She and my dad want a farm, so eventually, one day, probably have a farm or something,” Nuñez said.

Nuñez was surprised to see how much milk the baby cows drank. He also discovered how to make farm friends quickly.

The piglet named Bacon took a liking to him and rolled over next to him for some extra attention. The secret? Lots of belly rubs.

“It’s pretty cool,” Nuñez said. “It’s a nice surprise to have when you come to work.”

Jarlin Susana, the Nationals’ No. 3 prospect (No. 45 overall) returned to game action Tuesday for the first time in nearly a year. The 22-year-old right-hander, with a triple-digit fastball, made his 2026 debut during a rehab assignment with Triple-A Wilmington after recovering from right lat surgery.

Susana worked two scoreless innings against Hudson Valley. He did not allow a hit, issued two walks and recorded two strikeouts. Susana located 14 of his 28 pitches for strikes. 

Susana had last pitched in a game on Aug. 30, 2025. At the time, he had advanced to Double-A Harrisburg. Susana was invited to Major League Spring Training this year, despite being unable to pitch, so he could gain experience from a big league clubhouse.

Susana was one of the six players acquired from the Padres in the 2022 Juan Soto blockbuster trade. MLB Pipeline projects his Major League ETA as 2027.

The success of Sunday’s bullpen game against the Reds gave the Nationals’ new pitching dynamics something to consider. That afternoon, Brad Lord, Will Dion, Trevor Williams and Jake Bird combined for the win. 

“I think we might see some more Brad Lord starting games and maybe stretching him out responsibly,” said manager Blake Butera.

Lord, who came up in the Minor Leagues as a starter and has worked both roles in the Majors, pitched the first 2 2/3 innings Sunday. He allowed two hits and one run, but did not issue a walk and struck out four batters. 

Lord recently came off the injured list on Aug. 5 after missing nearly two months because of left side tightness. 

“He got a third up on Sunday. [He could] possibly go a little bit deeper next time, depending on how he feels, of course,” Butera said. “But I think he's somebody that we feel really good about, who might have the potential to be stretched out.”

Today
• Freedom 250 Grand Prix

-- 2022 Indianapolis 500 winner Marcus Ericsson to throw out ceremonial first pitch
-- IndyCar show car on display in Center Field Plaza
• Branch Appreciation Day -- U.S. Coast Guard Day

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