Jarlin Susana Hits 102 mph in Longest Outing Since Shoulder Surgery

Susana stretches out after shoulder surgery

Jarlin Susana’s return from shoulder surgery is gathering pace, with his latest outing offering a useful measure of how far he’s progressed. The Washington Nationals right-hander worked five innings for Salt River in the Arizona Fall League, his longest appearance since the injury. He allowed one hit and one earned run, struck out five and walked two. His final pitch reached 102 mph, a reminder that the velocity that draws attention to his profile is still there as he builds back up.

Five innings matter here because the question after a long absence isn’t just whether a pitcher can still throw hard. Teams also need to see how he handles a longer workload, maintains his command and gets through an outing without an obvious drop in effectiveness. One appearance can’t answer all of that, and the two walks show there’s still a command detail to watch. Still, this was his longest outing since the injury, and it gives the Nationals a more substantial data point than a brief return to the mound.

Susana missed nearly a year after 2025 shoulder surgery, then returned in August and struck out more than 39% of the batters he faced. That rate points to an ability to miss bats, though strikeouts alone don’t settle the question of how he’ll hold up as a starter. Pitching in the desert can be demanding, so a five-inning outing there offers a chance to assess more than raw velocity. The outing is encouraging, but it’s one step in a recovery process, not a verdict on where he’ll finish.

His combination of triple-digit velocity and swing-and-miss pitches gives him the look of a potential frontline starter. That’s an appealing ceiling, but the word “potential” is doing real work: a starter has to repeat his delivery, locate pitches and manage innings as well as overpower hitters. Susana’s outing touched several of those questions without resolving them. The most useful takeaway is that he’s building length while keeping the high-end velocity in view.

DeCriscio’s power at the plate

Justin DeCriscio led the week’s hitters with a 3-for-4 performance for Peoria: two runs, a double, two home runs and six RBIs. It’s a loud line, and the combination of extra-base power and run production made it the week’s standout hitting performance. One game can’t establish a player’s broader offensive level, though. The more telling question is whether he can keep producing competitive at-bats as the quality of pitching changes.

The Padres selected the second baseman in the 10th round of the 2025 draft, out of North Carolina State. That background gives a reader a basic sense of where he enters the organization, but draft round and one Fall League performance don’t define a prospect’s eventual role. DeCriscio’s recent experience across three levels during the summer offers a broader frame: he’s already had to adjust to different competition as he moved through the system, finishing with Double-A San Antonio.

He’s now getting additional defensive work around the infield in the fall league. His versatility, including the ability to handle shortstop, could give the organization more ways to use him as he advances. (And this is the part most people overlook.) Defensive flexibility can matter even when a player’s bat is the headline, because it affects how many positions he can cover and how a team might fit him into its plans. That value still depends on how well he handles those spots, not simply on having tried them.

DeCriscio’s consistently competitive at-bats make him a prospect to watch as he moves up the system. That description is more measured than a claim that one big game changes his outlook, and it should be. Two home runs are a memorable result; repeated quality plate appearances would say more about whether the performance reflects a developing strength. If you’re following his progress, look for the combination of contact, power and defensive work to keep showing up, rather than asking one box score to carry the whole case. Encouraging signs. More evidence needed.

What these performances can tell us

The two reports point to different stages of evaluation. With Susana, the focus is on returning from surgery and extending his workload while retaining the velocity and strikeout ability that make his profile compelling. With DeCriscio, the focus is on whether a standout offensive day fits a larger pattern, and how his infield work develops alongside his bat. Neither snapshot can answer every question, but both give readers concrete details to track as the players continue through their development.

Here’s the thing: prospect coverage is most useful when it separates what happened from what it might mean. Susana reached five innings and hit 102 mph with his final pitch; those are specific signs of progress, but they don’t guarantee a particular role or outcome. DeCriscio produced a major line for the week and is getting work at several infield positions; that’s meaningful context, but it doesn’t establish how his performance will translate at the next level. This is more significant than it looks in one respect: both reports show the value of following workload and versatility alongside the headline numbers.

That said, the Arizona Fall League is one part of a longer development picture. The article’s strongest evidence is what each player did and what kind of work he’s taking on now. For Susana, the next useful markers are whether he can continue building innings and how his command holds as he does. For DeCriscio, it’s whether competitive at-bats and defensive flexibility remain visible as he moves through the Padres’ system. And yet, the limits are clear: one week offers a snapshot, not a forecast.

More coverage to come

The Minor League Update is covering the full week as the minor league season’s playoff action winds down. That broader coverage matters because a single performance is easier to interpret when readers can compare it with the rest of the week’s activity. The column returns during the winter leagues, extending the coverage into another stretch of prospect watching. For now, Susana’s longer outing and DeCriscio’s power display give the week two distinct stories: one about rebuilding a starter’s workload, the other about a hitter testing his range across the infield.