Nationals’ first round of spring training cuts include pitcher Joan Adon

Joan Adon was among Tuesday’s spring training cuts. (Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post)

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The Washington Nationals made their first round of roster cuts from big league camp Tuesday, reassigning 15 players to minor league camp.

Joan Adon was the lone player on the 40-man roster who was optioned to Class AAA Rochester. Manager Dave Martinez said Adon has pitched well, but he wants him to get more innings in minor league camp. Adon, who catapulted himself into Washington’s starting rotation last season but finished the year 1-12 with a 7.10 ERA, was one of nine pitchers assigned to minor league camp.

Also in that group were right-handers Jackson Tetreault, Anthony Castro, Zach Brzykcy, Gerardo Carrillo and Tommy Romero and left-handers Alberto Baldonado, Evan Lee and Francisco Perez.

“Some of these guys, we want to get them stretched out; we don’t have enough innings, especially now that our starters need to go deeper in these games,” Martinez said. “We want to get them ready in case anything happens.”

Six position players were cut: catcher Brady Lindsly; infielders Lucius Fox and Erick Mejia; and outfielders Yasel Antuna, Donovan Casey and Derek Hill. Hill, 27, suffered a right hamstring injury last week.

All of the players Washington protected from the Rule 5 draft this offseason are still with the team. Washington put Matt Cronin, Jackson Rutledge, Jeremy De La Rosa, Jose Ferrer, Jake Irvin and Jake Alu on its 40-man roster to avoid any of those players being poached by other teams. They all survived the first round of cuts.