Nationals like what they see from Austin Voth

Right-hander Austin Voth only came up for a 24-hour period a couple of weeks ago. He did not get into that game on April 29, but expect to see Voth again in a Nationals uniform this season.

The starter has built himself to a point in his young career to be an extremely valuable asset to the Nats.

Nats director of player development Mark Scialabba said Voth's dedication to getting stronger in the offseason has positively affected his pitching repertoire and his ability to strive towards the end game of getting guys out at the major league level.

"We are very happy with and excited for Austin Voth and the offseason work that he put in really has allowed him to maximize his velocity again, get his arm speed and body in shape to a point where he is throwing his fastball to where he wants as well," Scialabba detailed. "Commanding his fastball to all parts of the strike zone and then his stuff is really crisp. The finish on all his pitches is improved."

I asked Scialabba if he noticed a big velocity difference in Voth's fastball: "I don't know the exact number off the top of my head, but it's at least two miles an hour on his fastball. It's not just the velocity, but it's also the crispness of his pitches, the command is back, the finish on his curveball, the slider, his change, all four pitches have better action to them."

Voth's last two outings have not gone as well as he would have liked. Against Buffalo and Pawtucket he has allowed 12 earned runs on 10 hits in just two combined innings of work May 6 and May 11. That is of some concern but Voth will look to remedy what was not working those two games and get back to his season-opening 0.96 ERA.

Prior to that two-game hiccup, the 25-year old had surrendered only two earned runs in his first five starts, with 30 strikeouts and only three walks. That was the reason he became a solid candidate for the call-up.

Voth was called up April 29 as protection for a Gio Gonzalez start with the bullpen thin and fatigued. Gonzalez was able to make it through that start, striking out eight over seven innings in a 3-1 win over Arizona, so the Nats' focus turned to the pack of the bullpen for the next day, and they switched out Voth for right-hander Wander Suero. But Voth will be back.

"It's the beauty and the curse of having options, really," Scialabba said. "At the time it was a move we wanted to make to protect our team and help us win a game that day. We felt like his value is best served as a starter, but we know we can go to him if we need innings out of the bullpen and that's what he can certainly do, provide that length."

Voth is important to the Nats system because the club was weakened a bit in starting pitching when they traded Lucas Guolito, Reynaldo Lopez and Dane Dunning to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for center fielder Adam Eaton. Erick Fedde and Voth ant to step into that role.

"You will always need pitching," Scialabba said. "You always need starting pitching depth. (Voth) was a part of that. It was tough year for him last year and a lot of searching for answers. It's a credit to him, the perserverance, the hard work that he's really part of our depth again. He really wasn't at some point. We just wanted him to succeed so he could get an opportunity to get here. He's putting himself in that position right now."

The Nationals are very high on the potential of Voth because of the work he has done the last few months to get to this point in his career. He has worked his way up in the system since being a 2013 fifth-round selection out of Washington.

"We are happy to see him get back to where he was when he was at his peak couple years ago and I think that's going to continue," Scialabba concluded. "We are very pleased with where he is right now."