The beleaguered Washington Nationals can't even sign the right Cuban defectors. Washington Nationals free agent signee Yunesky Maya, who joined the team in July, did not have the most auspicious of starts for the High-A affiliate Potomac Nationals. Maya worked four innings for the team, sailing through the first three innings before imploding in the fourth. Maya surrendered five runs on five hits and two walks to the visiting Winston-Salem Dash. It should be noted that Maya is 28 years old and getting batted around in High-A. Nationals Daily News explains some of the issues:
↵↵↵Maya has been suffering from a blister on his right thumb. Speaking through his interpreter, Fausto Severino, Maya tried to downplay the degree to which the blister affected his performance, but admitted that it played a factor in his pitch selection.
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Maya is scheduled to make his next start for AAA affiliate Syracuse, and is a likely September call-up for the big league club. I think I would have preferred Aroldis Chapman.