Nationals manager Dave Martinez said Wednesday that Rutledge will be used as a multi-inning reliever moving forward, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.
A first-round pick in the 2019 First-Year Player Draft, Rutledge has seen spot duty in the majors the last two seasons but really struggled last year at Triple-A Rochester, posting a 6.40 ERA with a 13.7 percent walk rate. Rutledge's stuff should play up in relief and the new role also figures to mask some of his control problems.