For Washington Nationals starter Joe Ross, 2017 is a nightmare. The pitcher was quietly optioned to Syracuse Monday, leaving Jacob Turner and A.J. Cole auditioning for the fifth spot in the rotation.
“Joe wasn’t Joe. That was it in a nutshell.” Dusty Baker said to reporters before Tuesday’s loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. He is right, Ross is not the same.
His slider just does not. His fastball is flat and, according to FanGraphs, has dropped in velocity. Last year, the fastball averaged 92.