The catcher/first baseman had finished his season with the Nationals' Triple-A affiliate, the Columbus Clippers, on Monday night and left after the game for a 17-hour journey home alongside his father.

Montz thought he would be home until at least February. Then he received a phone call a mere half-hour later from Nationals general manager Jim Bowden.

Washington needed the 25-year-old right away, having lost its everyday catcher, Jesus Flores, to a sprained left ankle in Tuesday night's game. Manager Manny Acta plans to waste no time making use of the youngster, as the skipper said he will start Montz at catcher in Thursday's game against the Braves.

"He's got some power," Acta said. "He made a lot of progress behind the plate. ... I don't know much about him, but I'm going to find out, for sure."

In 111 games this season between Columbus and Double-A Harrisburg, Montz hit .271 with 16 home runs and 71 RBIs.

But one thing the stat sheets won't show is the determination that helped Montz make that 17-hour trek from Columbus to Lafayette.

As the journey neared its end, Montz and his father drove into Baton Rouge, La., which was feeling heavy effects from Hurricane Gustav.

"We never even thought we'd make it to Lafayette," Montz said. "The weather was so bad."

The winds became so intense at one point that the two had to pull their vehicle onto the side of the road for about 40 minutes, hoping things would calm.

"Let's just keep going," Montz recalled saying to his father.

The two eventually made it to Lafayette, where Montz and a friend went out to eat at Popeyes Chicken and Biscuits. He had little time to settle in, however, before learning he would soon be traveling again.

Though he hasn't had much time to sleep this week, Montz showed few signs of fatigue as he shook new hands and learned new names in Washington's clubhouse on Wednesday afternoon.

"I'm just not even believing it," Montz recalled thinking after getting off the phone with Bowden. "But here it is."

Pitching matchup
WSH: RHP Shairon Martis (Major League debut)
He is a keeper for Washington, so much so that Martis played for the World Team in the XM All-Star Futures Game at Yankee Stadium in July. Martis, 21, entered the contest in the ninth inning, picking up a save as the World Team blanked the U.S. Team, 3-0. Martis got off to a slow start by giving up a ground-rule double, but he retired three of the next four hitters to close out the game.

ATL: RHP James Parr (no record)
Parr, 22, will be making his Major League debut in place of Jo-Jo Reyes, who was scratched three hours before game time. Parr spent five seasons in the Minors. He reached Double-A last season, and this year went 8-4 with a 3.69 ERA for Double-A Mississippi before being promoted to Triple-A Richmond, with which he went 5-3 with a 3.23 ERA in 10 games (nine starts).

Tickets
 Buy tickets now to catch the game in person.

On the Internet
 MLB.TV
 Gameday Audio
•  Gameday
•  Official game notes

On television
• MASN HD

On radio
• WWWT 1500, SBN 1390 (Español)

Up next
• Friday: Nationals (Jason Bergmann, 2-10, 4.83) at Braves (Jair Jurrjens, 11-9, 3.59), 7:30 p.m. ET
• Saturday: Nationals (Tim Redding, 10-8, 4.55) at Braves (Mike Hampton, 2-2, 5.67), 7:00 p.m. ET
• Sunday: Nationals (John Lannan, 8-13, 3.88) at Braves (Charlie Morton, 4-8, 6.32), 1:30 p.m. ET