Jeremy Hellickson adds to the mix of Nationals fifth-starter suitors

Like most teams at this point in spring training, the division favorite Nationals have a few matters still waiting to be settled. Adam Eaton took his first live at-bats since his knee injury 321 days earlier. (I didn’t count, he Instagrammed about it.) Daniel Murphy is still questionable for Opening Day recovering from a knee injury of his own. And then there’s that pesky fifth starter position that needs filling from the hole that Joe Ross left when Tommy John surgery became eminent in 2017.

The Nationals have enough depth that they won’t have to experiment with any bullpen abbreviated rotations. The team can leave that to the Rays, the team that introduced the Nats’ newest minor league signee to manager Dave Martinez. Jeremy Hellickson is thrown into a mix led by A.J. Cole, with Erick Fedde, Tommy Milone and Edwin Jackson not far behind.

In Hellickson, the Nationals get the over-30-year-old Scott Boras pitcher they are always seemed to be linked to, just not one who gets the results of Jake Arrieta. They get a pitcher who never quite lived up to the specter of his early days as a Rookie of the Year. He’s better than how this comparison skews his reputation, but not by much. He hit highs with the Phillies in 2016, posting a 3.3 fWAR. But things fell apart in 2017 with the Phillies and the Orioles, his ERA hitting its highest point at 5.43 (bringing his career ERA to 4.12), while he lost command and gave up more home runs.

The actual challenge Hellickson poses to the existing bunch is questionable. Cole has been inconsistent in the big leagues with the Nationals to the tune of a 5.42 ERA in 17 starts across three years. But his spring has been enough, with seven strikeouts and three runs in five innings, to keep him as the favorite. Fedde’s 2.84 ERA in 12.2 innings as one of the organization’s top prospects helps his case. Tommy Milone has a 1.10 WHIP in 10 innings this spring. Jackson had spectacular stretches with the Nationals in 2017 to initially play salve to Ross’ absence.

Thanks to Boras playing host to spring training in California, Hellickson doesn’t feel far behind, and Martinez hinted that he could make his spring debut during the Nationals split-squad games on Friday. Who knows. Maybe he can pull it off. Maybe Hellickson will get the chance to offset his even 69-69 record.