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Talking to 106.7 the FAN in D.C.’s Sports Junkies last September, Washington Nationals’ GM Mike Rizzo explained that they were going to handle 25-year-old right-hander Joe Ross like they have the other starters in the organization who’ve undergone Tommy John surgery.
Ross underwent the procedure in mid-July of 2017, and returned to the mound last summer, making six starts across four levels of the minor league system and three in the majors, with a 5.06 ERA, 5.85 FIP, four walks (2.25 BB/9), and seven strikeouts (3.94 K/9) in 16 innings on the mound for the Nationals.
“We’re going to have to control his innings,” Rizzo explained when asked about the plan for Ross in 2019.
“He’ll be in Year 1 post Tommy John protocol as we have here with the Nationals, but we’re looking for big things from Joe and hopefully we can manage those innings correctly and he can really be a factor for us.”
Ross made six appearances, one as a starter, giving up 12 hits, three walks, and four runs, three earned, in 10 2⁄3 IP, over which he struck out 10, before he was optioned to Triple-A Fresno yesterday.
Nationals’ skipper Davey Martinez told reporters recently, as quoted by Washington Post writer Jess Dougherty, that they were at least considering using Ross out of the bullpen, though he said he still thought of the pitcher as a starter.
“We are still thinking about that. And we are also thinking about Joe, what’s best for him. It’s hard [to say] because of his injury, but I still really believe he can start. I really do. It’d be nice if we could get him a little bit stretched out right now and see where we are at.”
Martinez said the same after Ross was optioned out on Saturday:
Dave Martinez on the decision to send Joe Ross to Fresno to get stretched out: "We talked a lot about what to do with him and we really believe ... we consider him a starter and we want him to start games.”
— Jesse Dougherty (@dougherty_jesse) March 23, 2019
Ross will make one more start in Grapefruit League action this afternoon as the Nats play the New York Mets in Port St. Lucie’s First Data Field in a game that’s being broadcast live on the MLB Network (and MLB dot TV).
Meanwhile, in West Palm Beach, FL, Patrick Corbin and another squad of Nationals will be at home taking on the Houston Astros one more time at 1:05 PM EDT (in a game that’s only on the radio — via MLB’s At Bat app).
HERE ARE THE LINEUPS FOR TODAY’S GAMES:
#Nats at #Mets at 12:05 PM EDT (on SNY; MLB Network; MLB dot ): Andrew Stevenson LF; Wilmer Difo CF; Matt Adams 1B; Carter Kieboom SS; Adrián Sanchez 2B; Spencer Kieboom C; Alec Keller RF; O'Koyea Dickson DH; Drew Ward 3B; Joe Ross SP.
— federalbaseball (@federalbaseball) March 24, 2019
#Nats vs #Astros in WPB at 1:05 PM EDT ( only via MLB's At Bat app): Adam Eaton RF; Brian Dozier 2B; Juan Soto LF; Yan Gomes C; Kurt Suzuki DH; Jake Noll 1B; Victor Robles CF; Chris Dominguez 3B; Matt Reynolds SS; Patrick Corbin SP.
— federalbaseball (@federalbaseball) March 24, 2019