In spite of difficult day, Fedde hopes experience pays off later

JUPITER, Fla. - When Erick Fedde makes his major league debut - a development that could occur sometime this summer - he might well harken back to this afternoon at Roger Dean Stadium and the lessons he learned during an otherwise dreadful performance against the Marlins.

Fedde, in his own words, "let the game speed up" on him. Put another way, he let the game control him instead of vice versa.

The end result - five runs allowed in only 1 2/3 innings - was unsightly, but the Nationals' top pitching prospect might just be able to pull something positive from the whole experience.

"No one likes to struggle. It's just something I'm going to learn from," he said. "(Pitching coach Mike) Maddux talked to me and just told me some tips on what to do when things go down like that. Maybe step off the mound, take a breather. It's something I'll learn from."

Fedde has learned a lot during his first big league camp. He has learned he's got the stuff to get hitters at this level out, which he did well through his first three appearances (seven innings without allowing an earned run).

The 24-year-old former first-round pick has also learned stuff isn't always enough to get the job done against hitters of this caliber, which he found out today against a potent Marlins lineup that drew three walks to go with four hits, including Marcell Ozuna's three-run homer off a slider.

"It's really a completely different game, just the way hitters approach at-bats," Fedde said. "That's the thing I've probably learned the most, just how the hitters approach the game and what they're looking for and how they sit on pitches. If you don't have good command, they'll wear you out for it."

Fedde didn't have good command this afternoon, and he paid the price for it.

"He was barely missing with all his pitches," manager Dusty Baker said. "Then he got behind. He didn't know those hitters. They've got a good-hitting club."

This was Fedde's fourth appearance of the spring, his second start. Whether he gets a chance for another remains to be announced, but the signs don't point to it.

Max Scherzer, restricted to facing teammates and minor leaguers in a controlled environment while his ring finger healed, has been cleared to face big leaguers again and is on track to start Wednesday against the Cardinals. That would fall on Fedde's next turn through the rotation, so it's quite possible (maybe even likely) the prospect will be making the rest of his spring starts in minor league camp.

Whatever happens next, Fedde will be in the discussion to make his major league debut sometime this year. If and when that day comes, he and the Nationals hope the past month has helped prepare him for the spotlight.

"This has been a great experience," he said. "Everything is just preparing me for the future. I'm really happy I got to have this experience, coming to early camp. It will be something I'll definitely be happy with when the time comes."