Mandel, Severino earn promotions

Relief pitcher Atahualpa Severino and starting pitcher Jeff Mandel must no longer worry about facing Carolina League hitters.
They will instead attempt to hone their crafts at Double-A Harrisburg.
Both were promoted from the Potomac Nationals to the Senators on Monday with pitchers Hassan Pena, Patrick McCoy and 2009 first-round pick Drew Storen coming to Potomac from Low-A Hagerstown. Potomac reliever Chris Rivera was optioned to Hagerstown to create the third roster spot on the P-Nats’ roster.
Pena is expected to replace Mandel in Potomac’s starting rotation and McCoy, a left-handed pitcher, will be used out of the bullpen as will right-hander Storen, Washington Nationals director of player development Bobby Williams said.
Severino’s 13 saves were second-best in the Carolina League and he compiled a 4-0 record with a 2.54 ERA.
He was named Potomac’s reliever of the month for June due to a 2-0 win-loss mark and 0.82 ERA.
Left-handed batters hit only .172 off him.
“Severino was throwing the ball well out of the pen,” Williams said. “He’s one of our better left-handed relievers in the system. His fastball is in the 91-92 range and can top out at 94.”
Mandel returned to Potomac after spending the last part of the 2008 season in Woodbridge.
He led the Nationals with eight wins, 99 and two-thirds innings pitched and 17 starts. His previous start came in Sunday’s 8-4 victory over Kinston when he pitched seven innings, gave up a run on five hits, walked one and struck out six and earned the win.
Mandel, a former Baylor University standout, went 8-4 with a 3.61 ERA and was the Carolina League’s starting pitcher in the Carolina League-California League All-Star game on June 23.
“He’s been very consistent for us,” Williams said. “He went through a little bit of a rough stretch in May or June, but he was able to get it together.
“We have the chance to move him to Double-A and see what he can do at that level. He’s going to face a new challenge. He’s going to throw strikes and he gets ground balls. He’s had a nice year.”
Rivera went 1-1 with a 3.94 ERA with Potomac, but walked nine batters in 16 innings.
MARRERO CL PLAYER OF WEEK
Potomac first baseman Chris Marrero has been named Carolina League batter of the week for July 13-19. Marrero managed a hit in each game during that span. He also hit a home run on July 16 against Lynchburg.
Marrero’s average stands at .303. He has 13 home runs and 55 RBI this year and is hitting .385 against left-handed pitchers.
WHITING P-Nats Steals king
Outfielder Boomer Whiting stole his 41st and 42nd bases of the year on Sunday, giving him 56 career steals with Potomac, the most by any player since the Nationals became a Washington affiliate in 2005. 
Whiting has two more than Ian Desmond, who stole 54 between 2005 and 2007.
Esix Snead holds the franchise and Carolina League records with 109 set in 2000.