Nationals right-hander Joe Ross, who was placed on the disabled list on Friday after exiting his last start with triceps discomfort, will soon undergo Tommy John surgery, Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post reports. If that's indeed the case, then Ross will miss at least the remainder of the 2017 season.
Ross, 24, has pitched to a 5.01 ERA, but at the same time he was running a career-best 3.40 K/BB ratio. His struggles on the run-prevention front no doubt had something to do with what turned out to be a major arm injury. As well, he'd looked much stronger in his most recent starts.
From 2015-16, Ross, put up an ERA+ of 117 across 32 starts and three relief appearances.
It's not certain who will replace Ross in the D.C. rotation, but right-handers Jacob Turner and Edwin Jackson seem like the leading options, at least in the short-term. If Erick Fedde pitches well following his recent promotion to Triple-A, then he could get a look at some point.
The Nationals previously lost center fielder Adam Eaton for the entire season thanks to a torn ACL, and shortstop Trea Turner could be out until late August/early September with a fractured wrist. Then, of course, there are the ongoing bullpen struggles. Given such blight, it may come as a surprise that the Nats are still on pace for 97 wins. That's thanks in part to the awful remainder of the NL East.
