On Tuesday, June 10, the Washington Nationals announced on X that they have called up their top prospect, Bruce the Bat dog.
The 21-month-old golden retriever came from the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings and will be making his Major League debut on Saturday, June 14, during the Nats’ game against the Miami Marlins, according to the official MLB website.
In a video from WUSA9, Bruce is seen running onto the field and retrieving various bats for the Red Wings.
The video stated that Bruce’s debut falls on the Nats’ fourth Pups in the Park and will begin the game with an honorary bat retrieval.
“The Nats say Bruce the Bat dog leads the organization in head rubs, head pats — rather, belly rubs and just good boys,” said the video.
The Nationals also shared a video on X of Red Wings manager Matt LeCroy inviting the new prospect into his office to tell him the good news.
LeCroy began his speech to Bruce by saying “Hey, come on in big dog, have a seat. Hope you’re doing well, man. I’ve got some news for you, I think you’re gonna like.”
“Our fans and front office are always excited to see our players get promoted to the Nationals, but Bruce’s promotion is a historic callup to the big leagues that he richly deserves,” said Red Wings general manager Dan Mason, according to MLB.
According to Bruce’s official Instagram, he took over the responsibilities of bat dog after Milo, who passed away in May of 2023.
Bruce made his first appearance with the Red Wings in September 2024 where he stole hearts and fetched bats. He was also the best of the show when it came to his good looks and charm which helped in improving morale in the dugout, according to Sports Illustrated.