Ross threw 53 pitches in Wednesday's game against the Astros, Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post reports.

EDGE Analysis

Making his second appearance of the spring, the right-hander racked up that pitch count in only 1.2 innings thanks to some shoddy defense behind him, but Nats manager Dave Martinez thought Ross' slider looked sharp and the location on his fastball was pretty good. "He's been throwing quite a bit, and [pitching coach Derek Lilliquist] said, 'He's good for 50 pitches today, just let him go out there,' " Martinez said. "I mean he should have gotten out of the inning, we made an error. He threw well." Ross, who threw only 41 innings last season between the majors and minors after rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, figures to begin the season at Triple-A Fresno, but a strong beginning to the campaign would have him first in line for a promotion when injuries hit the Nats rotation.