Fedde at Double-A: "He is just better than everyone he's facing"

DENVER -- Right-hander Jacob Turner is expected to make his initial start with the Nationals tonight here in Denver against the Rockies. Right-hander Stephen Strasburg has been placed on paternity leave with his wife, Rachel, expecting their second child, and likely won't return to the Nats until this weekend's rematch with the Mets.

Another pitcher currently in the minor leagues is making a solid statement for inclusion in the spot-start conversation this summer. It is University of Nevada-Las Vegas product Erick Fedde, who is off to a very impressive start with Double-A Harrisburg.

Senators play-by-play announcer Terry Byrom said on "Nats Insider" on 106.7 The Fan that Fedde is demonstrating how good a pitcher he can be in his first few weeks at Double-A.

"Oh man, he's just better than everyone he's facing," Byrom said. "I don't want to say he's night-and-day than when we got him last year when he came to Harrisburg, but these first three starts he's looked good, hitting his spot. He's everything that everyone would want him to be. That's for certain. He just looks really good."

Byrom on Fedde's stuff and what he thinks will likely be a short stay at this level.

"He's throwing in the mid-90's mph and then the off-speed stuff," Byrom said. "I don't know any more than just watching him and having been here a long time. I can't imagine he'll be here too much longer before he goes to Syracuse, maybe a wait long enough for it to warm up in Syracuse more, but he is just so mature and he's an impressive young guy."

So what about Fedde's repertoire? What pitches does he use to get guys out and how is he mixing up his pitches?

"The big thing I think he's doing really well is he's not trying to strike everybody out," Byrom said. "You'll see that a lot with prospects and non-prospects. Guys that think they have the stuff, they want to go for the strikeout, and so a lot of deep counts. What I've been impressed with the first three starts is he goes after the hitters. That doesn't mean he doesn't get strikeouts. Really, it's more of just being able to throw the fastball where he wants to throw it and moving it around in the strike zone. He mixes in the changeup and he has the slider."

And is Fedde featuring an out pitch, one go-to pitch that finishes off the hitter?

"I don't know that I would say that I've noticed that anything has been the out pitch more," Byrom noted. "Just what he's able to do with his fastball and where he can put it is what's getting guys out."

With top pitching prospects Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez now in the White Sox organization, Fedde moves to the front of the line as the next top prospect that could get a shot to pitch this season with the Nats. Now fully healthy, Fedde is showing good early signs at the Double-A level that he can make that happen.