After injury-plagued 2016, Ross seeks consistency in 2017

There was no shortage of domino effects from last month's trade for Adam Eaton, which cost the Nationals three top pitching prospects, including two hurlers who figured to be the club's first options for rotation depth in 2017.

In dealing Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez to the White Sox, general manager Mike Rizzo thinned his organization's pitching ranks in order to acquire a dynamic outfielder who could make a major impact on a daily basis. But the Eaton trade also puts added pressure on Joe Ross to both stay healthy and pitch effectively this season, now that the young right-hander is all but guaranteed a starting job.

Barring some unexpected move yet to come or the rapid ascension of a lower-level pitching prospect from within the organization, Ross is going to have to be a productive member of the Nationals' 2017 rotation. And given his physical struggles in 2016, that's no sure thing.

Ross was among the Nationals' biggest second-half disappointments, sidelined for 2 1/2 months with what initially was believed to be minor shoulder inflammation but proved a difficult ailment to overcome. By the time the 23-year-old did return in late September, he had precious little time to get himself back into peak form before the Nats needed him to make a playoff start.

Ross made only three starts down the stretch, topping out at 90 pitches, then lasted only 2 2/3 innings during his Game 4 start at Dodger Stadium in the National League Division Series. He didn't earn a decision in that game, but his abbreviated start did put his team in a tough spot en route to a 6-5 loss that preceded a heartbreaking Game 5 loss that ended the season.

In hindsight, was Ross not physically ready to pitch in a postseason game of that magnitude?

"Physically, I felt really good," he said last month at Nats Winterfest. "I think just missing so much time ... you know, 60 days of being on the bench just kind of takes away a little bit of edge once you get back out on the mound. Because I expected myself to pitch just like it was April 5, April 6. I think it's a big expectation. After missing so much time, with such short time before the playoffs, that's kind of the pressure I was putting on myself."

Ross insists there are no lingering shoulder concerns now, and he and the Nationals have looked at some mechanical tweaks in his delivery that could help prevent the issue from arising again.

"I'm sure there's some tinkering to be done," he said. "It just takes some extra looking at video, and a little bit more pre-spring training work going into the year, as far as getting my arm ready, staying on top of my mechanics and things like that. I just feel like sometimes you get into a groove, and you try to let it ride and get a little bit away from what I was doing beforehand that got me into the spot to feel good going into the year."

If Ross can keep himself healthy, the Nationals know they have themselves one of the better young arms in the sport filling out a spot at the back end of their rotation.

Still only 23, Ross has now pitched roughly the equivalent of one full season in the big leagues, appearing in 35 games (32 of those starts) and totaling 181 2/3 innings. His combined totals in that span: a 12-10 record, 3.52 ERA, 162 strikeouts, 50 walks and 1.22 WHIP.

That's not shabby by any stretch of the imagination. Of the 146 major league starters who have pitched at least 162 total innings over the last two seasons, Ross ranks 36th in ERA. He's ahead of Stephen Strasburg, Chris Archer, Julio Teheran and Felix Hernandez.

Suffice it to say, Ross has shown himself so far to be an above-average big league starter.

Now he'll need to show he has the durability to do this for a full season without breaking down.

"It's unfortunate that I missed so much time last year, especially because I felt so great early in the year," said the right-hander, who had a 2.37 ERA through his first 10 starts of 2016. "So hopefully this next year I can get back on the right path and maintain that through the whole season."