6 years agoWashington Nationals starting pitcher Jeremy Hellickson is practicing a quick pitch and a slider this spring training. "I just think nowadays a slider is a big strikeout pitch and I've just never had one...It's a tough pitch to throw, been trying to throw one forever," Hellickson said. He also revealed that he's talked to Patrick Corbin about the pitch. Hellickson reportedly threw it four times during his three-inning, one-run stint on Monday, inducing one whiff. However, Hellickson does not plan to begin the regular season with the pitch in his arsenal; it will nonetheless be interesting to see if he starts throwing it sometime this year. With Erick Fedde struggling this spring (11.81 ERA, 3.19 WHIP) and Joe Ross likely facing a light workload in his first full season back from Tommy John surgery, Hellickson should begin the year as Washington's fifth starter. Even so, he is little more than a deep streaming option.--Nathaniel Green
Source: Jamal Collier, MLB.com