Voth a good choice for spot start with Strasburg on DL

By Byron Kerr

Nationals

June 26, 2016, 11:00am

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Right-hander Stephen Strasburg has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with an upper back strain. The Nationals announced a corresponding move will be made on Monday.

The Nationals will need a spot start on Tuesday. It is a good possibility that right-hander Austin Voth will get the call for his first major league start. He will have to be placed on the 40-man roster to get that spot.

Nats Park day game.jpg The 24-year-old Voth has distinguished himself with Triple-A Syracuse. He has a 4-3 record with a 2.99 ERA in 14 starts. He has recorded 75 strikeouts in 81 1/3 innings.

Voth gained experience in his first big league spring training to get ready for this season.

Voth has also built his resume with solid pitching since he was a fifth-round selection out of the University of Washington in 2013. Baseball America's John Manuel likened Voth's ability to be successful in the majors to a veteran like Aaron Sele.

A lot of fans want the choice to be right-hander Lucas Giolito, but Voth is the better choice for this spot start right at this moment, and will go a long way in building a little bit of depth in a Nationals system of guys that are ready to get a shot at major league duty.