Whalen (1-2) surrendered three runs -- only one earned -- on three hits in six innings Thursday against Washington, but ended up on the losing side. He struck out six and walked three.
This was a much-improved effort by Whalen after these same Nationals blasted him for six runs just last week. The 22-year-old righty excelled in the minors this year, posting a composite 2.40 ERA over 120 innings split between Double-A and Triple-A, and while he's still gaining his footing in the big leagues Whalen's shown enough promise that fantasy owners in deeper formats should take notice. However, he next draws the dangerous Diamondbacks on Tuesday, so consider your options carefully before deploying him.