The unfortunate and untimely death of Dan Leatherman‘s father with one week left of Spring Training, meant that Dan would have to miss the final week of games, when many players were cut and assigned to the various Minor League Affiliates. Dan had a very impressive Spring and was told that he would start the year at High A Potomac. After missing the final week of training, he was told that there would still be a spot in High A waiting for him, but that he would have to first spend a week in Extended Spring Training. The Nationals held true to their word and just added Leatherman to the High A Potomac roster.
Dan McGinn has the story:
The Potomac Nationals announced today that right-handed pitcher Dan Leatherman has been added to Potomac’s 25-man roster. Additionally, right-hander Clint Everts has been placed on the disabled list.
Leatherman has not pitched a game this season but spent the entire 2008 campaign as a member of the Hagerstown Suns’ bullpen. The 23-year-old signed with Washington as a Minor League free agent last year and went on to make 26 relief appearances for the Suns going 1-2 with a 2.68 ERA. Leatherman finished 13 games for Hagerstown and was a perfect 5-for-5 in save chances last season in Low-A ball. He has shown great command since joining the Nationals system walking only 10 men while striking out 62 in 50.1 innings pitched last season.
A former non-drafted free agent acquisition of the Minnesota Twins, Leatherman began his professional career with the Gulf Coast League Twins where he did not allow an earned run in three appearances. The Frederick, Md. native made a career-high 49 appearances with the Low-A Beloit Snappers of the Midwest League and posted a 7-4 record with a 3.89 ERA during the 2007 season. In his three-year career, this University of West Virginia product has a career ERA of 2.90 with 176 strikeouts and a record of 12-7 in 96 Minor League games.
