Fedde's mentality: rolling with the punches

WASHINGTON -- There is one concept of staying ready for "the" moment. Then, there is staying ready for "any" moment.

In Erick Fedde’s case, he has been adjusting to whatever comes his way long before encountering the obstacles of the 2021 season. Prior to navigating changing pitching roles and injured list stints with the Nationals, he was pivoting and adapting as an aspiring athlete growing up in Las Vegas.

“My mom’s always said to me, ‘Plan for the worst, hope for the best,’” Fedde said on Tuesday.

Fedde’s fifth year in the big leagues has been filled with highs and lows. After he stepped in to make eight starts in place of an injured Stephen Strasburg in 2020, he ended up in the bullpen again this season. That relief role didn’t last long, though, as the Nationals' starting rotation found itself down starters early.

Fedde allowed five runs in a 1 2/3-inning start on April 7. But from there, he settled in to become a regular member of the rotation without Jon Lester and Strasburg available at different points.

After tossing seven shutout innings on May 16 in Arizona, Fedde’s momentum came to a halt. The right-hander tested positive for COVID-19 in spite of being vaccinated and was placed on the injured list. Then, several of his scheduled Minor League rehab starts were postponed because of inclement weather. He did not start again for the Nationals until June 12, nearly a month after being sidelined.

Fedde was locked in when he returned. He put together a stretch of 21 consecutive scoreless innings until a five-run, four-inning outing on June 23 against the Phillies. The following morning, he woke up and felt discomfort in his left side. An MRI revealed an oblique strain and he landed on the 10-day IL, paused with a 4-4 record and a 3.90 ERA over 11 starts.

Fedde, once again, took the news in stride. The way he sees it, it’s the best approach.

“At this level, I’ve watched so many guys be replaced quickly,” Fedde said. “There’d be days in the clubhouse where you don’t realize it’s the last day seeing them. It’s just one of those things -- I want to avoid that day at all costs. If it has to be me rolling with punches, then so be it.”

Rolling with the punches, going with the flow, taking things in stride -- all of those sayings exemplify Fedde's rise to the bigs.

Fedde didn’t always stand a tall, 6-foot-4, 200 pounds on the mound. In fact, he was quite the opposite growing up in a family of late bloomers. On his first day at Las Vegas High School, Fedde fell two pounds short of his goal of weighing 100 pounds. He measured around 5-foot-5 until his junior year, when he hit a growth spurt and skyrocketed to 6-foot-3. Fedde entered his freshman year of college at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas weighing 155 pounds.

“It’s just one of those things, you have to learn to use your body differently,” Fedde said of pitching pre-growth spurt. “When I was on the mound, I had to really hit spots and learn to throw different pitches. Then all of a sudden, I was bigger, stronger and throwing hard.”

The Padres initially selected Fedde in the 24th round of the 2011 Draft, which Fedde described as “a total surprise.” He opted for collegiate ball, and he was on a rise with an 8-2 record and 1.76 ERA in ‘14, before he sustained a torn UCL. Still, the Nationals picked him in the first round (18th overall) of the Draft one month later. Fedde rehabbed and made his Major League debut three years later on July 30, 2017.

“Going into college, I was not the big recruit or anything,” Fedde said. “I really started to feel better as the Draft got close. It was the first time I really had my name tossed around in the first round. Then maybe my head got a little big -- but then I had Tommy John [surgery] to bring me back down to earth.

“It’s just one of those things where I think I’ve learned -- especially through that experience -- no matter how high up you think you are and you think you’re invincible, you’re really not.”

Fedde threw on Tuesday for the first time since experiencing the oblique strain. He got up to 120 feet and said the session “went pretty smoothly.” While he would like return within the 10-day IL period, he still has to get off the mound and might require a rehab start.

“I want to be back as soon as possible, but I also don’t want to miss a month or two months [returning too early],” he said. “Just one of those things where I want to be smart and make sure I pitch through September.”

Fedde will take the temporary hangups as they come with a positive attitude, knowing that after years of hurdling road blocks, they can be part of his long journey in the pros.