Nathan threw a scoreless inning with a walk and a strikeout Wednesday during his season debut for Triple-A Syracuse, Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post reports.

EDGE Analysis

The right-hander is probably no better than a desperation backup plan for Nationals saves, as he's not even on the 40-man roster. Still, it's encouraging that Nathan is chugging along at age 42. If the choppy performance of closer Blake Treinen and other Nationals relievers continues, the former elite closer at least could get a call-up to the big leagues to solidify the setup bridge and position himself for high-leverage appearances. That seems like a move from Dusty Baker's playbook. Keep a casual eye on Nathan's progress.