Washington Nationals at Houston Astros: Grapefruit League GameThread

Erick Fedde makes his fourth appearances, and second start, of the Spring this afternoon when the Washington Nationals and Houston Astros meet up again at 1:05 PM EST in Grapefruit League action from West Palm Beach, Florida’s Ballpark of the Palm Beaches.

Fedde, 25, who is in camp competing for the fifth spot in the Nats’ major league rotation, started in his initial Spring Training outing back on February 26th, giving up four hits, one walk, and one earned run in two innings. He’s come out of the pen for two appearances in a row now, however, tossing two scoreless against the Mets earlier this month and giving up a run on two hits in two innings after coming on in relief against the same Houston Astros he’ll face today.

After the previous outing against the defending World Series champs, new Nationals’ skipper Dave Martinez shared his thoughts on what he’s seen from Fedde early this Spring, while noting that they are taking it slow with the 2014 1st Round pick (and top pitching prospect in the organization according to Baseball America at least) whose 2017 campaign ended in early September when he went down with a flexor mass tear after making his MLB debut and three starts total last summer.

“I like him, I really do,” Martinez told reporters, as quoted by MASN’s Pete Kerzel earlier this week.

“He’s got electric stuff and he’s going to be a good one. I know he’s coming off an injury last year, so we’re trying to take care of him, make sure he’s healthy and good to go for the beginning of the season.”

Fedde gets to make another opportunity to make his case for inclusion on the Opening Day roster (though if we were betting we’d say he starts the season in Triple-A) when the Nationals take on the Astros as the visiting team in their shared Spring Training facility this afternoon at 1:05 PM EST.

HERE’S THE NATIONALS’ LINEUP FOR TODAY’S GRAPEFRUIT LEAGUE GAME:

FOLLOW: Charlie Slowes and Dave Jageler are calling the action this afternoon on 106.7 the FAN in D.C. and 1500 AM WJFK (and you can also, of course, follow the action via MLB’s Gameday audio).