Lost amidst the hoopla of the Nationals signing top draft pick Stephen Strasburg last month and the elbow injury to talented rookie pitcher Jordan Zimmermann are the future prospects of former first-round pick Ross Detwiler.
Chosen fifth overall in 2007, the 23-year-old Detwiler signed quickly with Washington and was supposed to move fast through the farm system. Command problems hampered him during his first full pro season in 2008 at Single-A Potomac (8-8, 4.86 ERA). But the 6-foot-5, 185-pound left-hander made some adjustments late in the year and carried them into 2009, where he made six fine starts at Double-A Harrisburg and earned a trip to the majors.
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Detwiler started 10 games for the Nats this summer, showing flashes of the talent that made him a top pick, according to general manager Mike Rizzo. But he also showed that he had a lot to learn at the big-league level. Detwiler allowed 69 hits and 24 walks in 54 innings with Washington. His record was 0-5 and his ERA was 6.17 before the Nats sent him back to the minors at Triple-A Syracuse.
But if Detwiler wasn’t yet ready for prime time, his performance since has given Washington renewed hope that he can be a key part of the rotation puzzle next spring. There are certainly plenty of openings. With the Chiefs, he was 4-2 with a 3.10 ERA in 10 starts to end the year. The Nats want to limit Detwiler’s innings, which stood at 120 2/3 in combined major-league and minor-league starts before he took the mound last night against the Phillies. Prior to that outing, he was just shy of his career high (124 innings in 2008) and likely will make just one more before the season ends in early October.
“It’s been a while since Ross last pitched,” said Nats manager Jim Riggleman, who noted that Detwiler’s last start before Thursday’s Phillies game was Sept. 4 in Triple-A — not including a two-inning bullpen stint at Florida last Saturday. “We didn’t want to push him back any further.”
