WASHINGTON – By May 3, Jake Irvin had advanced from his first Major League Spring Training to his first Triple-A assignment to his Major League debut all in the same season. 

After making seven starts with the Nationals, manager Dave Martinez skipped Irvin’s last turn in the rotation for rest. The 26-year-old, who missed the entire 2021 season rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, had pitched 31 innings in just over a month. 

From an immediate perspective, the competitor in Irvin wanted to be on the mound. From a long-term standpoint, he saw the benefits of the plan. 

“Big shoutout to Davey for the little bit of rest,” Irvin said following the Nationals’ 5-2 loss to the Marlins on Saturday at Nationals Park. “[I] definitely felt fantastic. Good to take the mound again, good to compete and happy to be back out there.”

Irvin returned to action on Saturday for the first time since June 6. He allowed one run off four hits and two walks with four strikeouts across five innings. Irvin delivered 55 of his 88 pitches for strikes. 

“We talked about it after the game, and he said he needed that little bit of a breather,” said Martinez. “Hopefully, we get him on the right track. He needs to build off of the last three innings he pitched today, and we’ll see what goes on in five days from now.” 

Irvin threw a total of 49 pitches to get through the first two innings, during which he allowed a sacrifice fly to Jonathan Davis in the second. From there, he faced the minimum in the third and the fifth innings. 

“After the first two innings, he threw the ball better. A lot better,” said Martinez. “His direction was good. We talked about keeping his front hip closed a little bit. But he had that downward plane and he threw the ball a lot better. So that was very encouraging. … I thought the last three innings, he settled down and threw the ball a lot better.”

Irvin used the time off to hone in on his mechanics -- “When you have the right intent and drive the ball to the mitt, the mechanics kind of do their own thing,” he said last week. Irvin was happy with the 25-pitch bullpen he tossed on Wednesday in Houston. Just as importantly, he also refreshed his mindset.

“I think you kind of take everything back to basics,” Irvin said following the throwing session. “Making your debut and going through the whirlwind of the first month in the big leagues is something you can’t really explain. It’s something you go through once and hopefully get your feet wet. I’ve taken this time to kind of reflect on what’s happened so far, and how you can move forward as best as possible. Not only does it give the body a chance to reset, but it really gives your mind a chance to reset and move forward and grow.”

Irvin completed five innings for the third time in seven starts. He noticed a difference between Saturday and his previous outing, when he gave up four runs (three earned) off five hits, three walks, one hit-by-pitch and one strikeout in four frames versus the D-backs.

“There’s just not as much mileage on the body over the course of the week,” said Irvin. “Using that time to rest, let the body recover and today [I] just felt a lot more fresh.” 

Irvin’s teammates saw the positive impact of his reset. If it goes as intended, his opponents will, too, from here on out. 

“He’s a warrior,” said third baseman Jeimer Candelario. “He’s a guy that works really hard. He’s putting everything together to have success in the big leagues. This is the big leagues, and you’ve got to perform. He’s putting a lot of work [in] for that. Physically and mentally, I know he’s doing a lot of work.”