More than one factor to consider in No. 5 starter choice

The Nationals' chances for success in a 60-game season would seem to be bolstered by their top-of-the-line rotation. It's the backbone upon which they built a championship last year and how they've always intended to make a run at another title this year, no matter the length of the schedule.

And in Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Patrick Corbin and Aníbal Sánchez, they've got as good a starting quartet as there is in the majors.

They, of course, won't be making it through this season with only four starters. Perhaps there will be a couple of turns through the rotation where an off-day lines up properly and allows them to skip someone else's spot. But in all likelihood they're going to need at least 10 starts from pitchers who aren't in that aforementioned quartet.

And that's not even taking into consideration the possibility one of the main four gets hurt and a replacement is needed for any length of time.

The Nationals thought they were well-stocked in fifth starter candidates, and back in March they appeared poised to enter the season with Joe Ross in the rotation, Austin Voth in the bullpen and Erick Fedde in the minors.

But when Ross elected not to participate in this shortened season, the Nats' rotation depth suddenly looked much shallower. And now the pressure's on Voth and Fedde to leap to the forefront and provide the quality outings manager Davey Martinez needs for his team to win in 2020.

"With Joe opting out, we have two guys that could really fill the void in Voth and Fedde," Martinez said. "We'll see how this thing ends up. But I think they're both very good, and I think they're both ready. I think they learned a lot over the last year."

Despite the revolving-door nature of the job, the fifth spot in the Nationals rotation actually proved to be a significant strength last season, especially in the second half. In 20 combined starts following the All-Star break, Ross, Voth and Fedde went 9-4 with a 3.44 ERA. (The Nats went 13-7 in those games.)

Can they be counted upon for a comparable performance this season, especially with Ross out of the equation? It's a big ask for two right-handers who don't have long track records of success at this level.

Voth was something of a revelation last year, a late-blooming 27-year-old who came up through the minors as a control artist but managed to add several mph to his fastball after working at Cressey Sports Performance and suddenly was overpowering hitters with a live, mid-90s fastball.

A shoulder injury brought an abrupt halt to Voth's summer, and he never fully made it all the way back. But he was healthy in spring training and appears to be healthy now.

Fedde was the more highly touted prospect, a first-round pick from UNLV who had Tommy John surgery before ever throwing his first pitch as a professional and seemed to be on a fast track to the majors. The lanky right-hander, though, has thrown only 143 2/3 total innings in the big leagues over parts of three seasons, with a 5.39 ERA and 1.56 WHIP that have prevented him from sticking for good.

There were signs of improvement late last season, though, as Fedde got better at getting ahead of hitters and keeping his pitch count manageable enough to complete six innings in five of his final nine starts.

Martinez's message for both righties this summer is simple.

"Strike-throwing," the manager said. "We talk a lot with our younger guys, especially, about getting ahead of hitters, throwing strike one all the time."

The ultimate decision on a fifth starter may not be as simple as choosing the one who is performing better in camp. With an expanded roster that will include 15 pitchers to open the season, both guys are near locks to make the club. One of them will pitch out of the bullpen, and if the coaching staff believes one is better suited for that role than the other, it may help make the decision easy.

"I want to see who's going to be ready, and who's going to be more apt to actually be able to pitch out of the bullpen if we need him," Martinez said. "Because we're definitely going to need a long man."