Williams confirms Tanner Roark will start Monday at Cubs; Strasburg note

Nationals manager Matt Williams confirmed that right-hander Tanner Roark will start Monday's afternoon game in Chicago against the Cubs.

"Tanner is going to pitch Monday," Williams said. "So the way it lines up, it gives (Jordan Zimmermann) an extra day."

Roark made a career-high 31 starts in 2014. He won a career-high 15 games to 10 losses, throwing close to 200 innings and sporting a 2.85 ERA.

Williams said right-hander Doug Fister might throw during batting practice today, but it looks like they are being very careful in his rehabilitation from right forearm tightness. Fister has been on the disabled list since May 15, and the team has been fortunate in this part of the schedule with two off-days built in. During that time, they were able to skip a Fister start and go with a four-man rotation.

But this week they are in the midst of playing six days in a row. They have another scheduled off-day on May 28. Fister did not throw during early pregame today.

"He hadn't thrown yet," Williams said on the possibility that Fister will throw today. "He's in getting treatment. Depends on how he feels."

Roark has been stretched out this week in anticipation he might start early next week. Williams said Roark won't hold back just because he knows he may have to go five or more innings versus his new relief role this season where a normal outing might be one or two innings.

"I don't know if he pitches any different," Williams said. "His fastball is his fastball. But if he knows it's a one inning stint, then he can let it go. But if he knows that he's going to have to get out there for four or five (innings), then I don't expect that velocity to be 94, 95 mph all the time."

Williams said because Roark has pitched for awhile and has accrued some high leverage experience, he will know when to pace himself as the appearance moves along.

"We've seen it a couple of times where he understands the process of the particular game we are playing that day," Williams said. "So if he's in the sixth (inning), then it doesn't tick up quite as much and he knows he needs to throw multiple pitches. He's been to 50 (pitches), which he did fairly easily, and given his starting back ground he knows how to pace himself through innings and he can go multiple for us. I expect it to be the same as it was in the past, 90 to 93 mph, with all of his pitches."

Williams also said that they have worked with Saturday's starter Stephen Strasburg the last couple of starts to lead and emphasize his fastball even more.

"Stras got beat with his fourth best pitch in Arizona," Williams said. "The mindset is OK, I can mix that pitch every once and awhile, but I don't want to get beat with that pitch. If you're going to beat me, then I'm going to come after you with my number one. And Stras' number one pitch is his fastball. So he has to establish that."

Williams said Strasburg needs to be aggressive with that number one pitch. That was a big reason why the San Diego start turned out so much better than the previous outing in Phoenix.

"I am going to stand on the mound, (Wilson Ramos) is going to give me a sign and I'm going to throw this pitch with conviction where I want to throw it," Williams said of what he would like Strasburg to be thinking. "And if it doesn't get there, then doggone it I'm going to do it again. That's the mindset he had in San Diego. The mindset that he wants to have all the time."