WASHINGTON — The Nationals’ starting rotation will make an adjustment over the next few days. And it has nothing to do with Sunday’s epic contest in which the Nationals won 6-5 in 16 innings over the Minnesota Twins.
Right-hander Joe Ross left his start after two innings Wednesday in Miami with a blister on his pitching hand. Long reliever Yusmeiro Petit came on and got the win in relief in the 3-1 victory over the Marlins.
Washington is off Monday after hosting the Twins in a three-game series that ended Sunday. Ross was originally slated to start Tuesday when the Nationals begin a series at home with the Philadelphia Phillies, but the Nationals announced that Max Scherzer will start Tuesday against the Phillies.
Scherzer struggled with command in his last start, as he lost 5-1 at Miami on Thursday against the Marlins. Scherzer, who had two no-hitters last year, is 2-1 with an ERA of 4.32 in four starts this year.
Gio Gonzalez will start Wednesday and Tanner Roark, who fanned 15 batters Saturday in a win against the Twins, will go Thursday against the Phillies. The next start for Ross is up in the air. Ross did pinch-hit on Sunday and got a single in the 10th inning.
Meanwhile other options for starters in the minors appear to have weakened in the past few days for the Nationals.
Syracuse right-handers A.J. Cole and Taylor Jordan both have limited big league experience as starters. But Jordan went on the disabled list Thursday with arm soreness, according to farm director Mark Scialabba.
Jordan started at Lehigh Valley on Tuesday and gave up eight hits in 4 2/3 innings and was also hit in the back on a comebacker, though he stayed in the game.
Cole was once considered a top prospect — he made his big league debut in April 2015 — but on Thursday he allowed 12 hits and eight runs in 4 2/3 innings for Syracuse as his ERA rose to 7.71.
Top pitching prospect Lucas Giolito is with Double-A Harrisburg but the Nationals may not want to call him up now in order to save a year of service time for the right-hander.
Ross was called up from Double-A Harrisburg to make his big league debut last June, then went back to Syracuse before the rosters expanded in September. This year, he is 2-0 with an ERA of 0.54 in three starts over 16 2/3 innings, and has given up just nine hits.
“It looks ugly,” manager Dusty Baker said of his blister. “I don’t know if he could throw a full game like that. There’s skin over it but it looks kind of like an open wound where they shaved the callous off. I don’t think it ever blistered, which is a good thing.”
The Nationals acquired Ross in a trade with the San Diego Padres. “He has as much desire as anyone out there. He’s not a silly 22-year-old kid. He’s a serious guy. He has a brother (big leaguer Tyson) to work out with and he’s seen a lot in a short period of time. I don’t understand why San Diego gave him to us, but I appreciate it,” Baker said.
Petit is another option as a starter for the Nationals down the road, though he did pitch 4 2/3 innings out of the bullpen on Sunday. He went six innings out of the bullpen in 2014 to beat the Nationals in the playoffs in an 18-inning game when he was with the San Francisco Giants.