Nationals' Joe Ross: Velocity drops considerably in last start

Ross experienced a noteworthy drop in velocity during his start against the Reds on Saturday, CSN Mid-Atlantic reports.

Analysis:

Ross was hit around a bit in the early parts of Saturday's start, but at that time, his velocity remained normal, with his fastball topping out at 94-95 MPH during the first few innings. As his start came to a close, however, his fastball velocity was regularly 90 MPH or below. The right-hander averaged 93.4 MPH on his fastball heading into Saturday's start, so the sudden decrease has forced the Nationals to examine whether or not there is an injury in play. The 23-year-old doesn't believe he is injured, but the Nationals will take every precaution to see if they can get his velocity numbers back on track for his next scheduled start Thursday.